Tiny Lifeflight
by Boltshok
Summary: A strange twist on a M!A... when a certain medic wakes up stuck in a doll-sized frame, what will Winnie think... or do, to make him normal?
1. Chapter 1

Winnie slowly gets up as her alarm goes off.

"Good morning," she mumbles, sleepy-eyed.

After stretching, she hops up and changes out of her pajamas into jeans and a purple Batman t-shirt. Winnie walks out of her room, and starts the morning chores. She wanders around outside with King, checking for any disturbances in the shops or out buildings, but as the morning wears on, she notices something wrong.

Lifeflight would be up by now. Where was he? Winnie plods over to the side door into the bay, instructing King to stay outside. She pokes her head into the still dark room.

"Lifeflight? Are you in here?" she calls softly.

"W-W-Winnie!" comes a quiet, distressed cry, emanating from his berth.

Winnie opens the door wider, light flooding the bay. Lifelight's blanket is on the bed, rumpled, but he's not there.

"What?" she asks, looking around the room.

"Wh-where are you?" he whimpers. "I-I'm on the berth."

"Lifeflight?" Winnie says anxiously. "I'm right here. Is this...a game or something?"

"I-I-It's so dark," he says, and the blanket shifts on the berth. Is...is he ^ital^ under ^ital^ the blanket?

Winnie throws on the light and rushes over to the berth. The blanket rustles again and a tiny helm pops from between the folds. Lifeflight's tiny helm.

Winnie steps back in surprise.

"P-Please-se d-don't leave," he cries, tears glistening in his eyes. "W-Winnie...I'm f-frightened."

Winnie stops. "No-no, I'm not going anywhere, Lifeflight. Don't be afraid. Do you know what...what happened?" She bends down closer to the little bot.

"I-It w-was so-o dark-k," Lifeflight whispers, looking up at Winnie with wide eyes. "I-I was a-about-t to get up t-to overload and th-then I g-got covered-d by my b-blanket."

Winnie bites her lip. "Okay, then." She puts an elbow on the berth and bumps against a metal bracer. "Lifeflight...y-your armor didn't happen to...to shrink with you did it?"

"N-No," he whimpers. "B-But I th-think I-I h-had an accident."

His tears begin to run over, and he looks up at Winnie, beginning to tremble.

"Hush, Lifeflight, shh. It's gonna be okay. Here's what we're gonna do." She picks up Lifeflight, still wrapped in the giant blanket. "We'll find you some...clothes, I guess, get you cleaned up, and then we'll call G." She smiles at the mech in the blanket. "That sound good?"

"O-O-Okay," he says, clinging tightly to the blanket, "p-please don't-t drop m-me."

"It's okay, I won't."

She holds him a little tighter and turns to walk into the house. When she reaches the kitchen, she sets the slightly damp blanket on the counter. "I need to get you some clothes. Do you want to watch some TV?"

"N-No," Lifeflight murmurs, "b-but I'll-l listen."

Winnie clicks on the TV to old "The Smurfs" reruns, and rushes into her room. She rifles through a box in her closet until she finds what she was looking for.

Returning with a tiny, blue, plaid button up shirt, and a pair of small cargo pants she holds them up for Lifeflight's inspection. "Will these do? It's not armor, but..." She hands the clothes to Lifeflight.

"Y-Yes," he mumbles, still shivering. "D-do you have-ve a d-damp r-rag I can-n wash w-with?"

"Yep." Winnie runs a cloth through the sink and sets it beside Lifeflight. Turning around, she coms G via earpiece. "Gil? You up yet?"

"Good morning, Winnifred," a mech's voice on the line rumbles. "Are you looking for G?"

Lifeflight picks up the rag, and steps out of the blanket, beginning to clean up.

Winnie leans against the opposite countertop. "Sorry to bother you, but yes," she says.

"Hmm, no bother. All com lines are diverted to mine through the night and early morning. G is up and about downstairs, I got bath duty. Let me put you through."

"Thank you."

"Yo, what's up?"

"Mornin', Gil. Uh, I have a...predicament over here...it isn't normal for bots to shrink to half a foot overnight, right?"

"Oh jeez. Nope. Come right now. Forget eating, I've got breakfast on the table."

"Thank you, G I'll be there in ten."

"Alright, see you then."

She hangs up and turns to Lifeflight who is looking down at the baggy "Barbie" Ken clothes. "Uhh..I'm really sorry about that, but we need to go over to Gilli's."

"O-Okay," Lifeflight says, trying to figure out how the pants go on. "C-Can I use you-ou as a reference?"

"Guh, um..." Winnie quickly closes her eyes when she notices he is still unclothed. "S-Sure."

She pulls at her shirt nervously. Casting a glance over his shoulder, Lifeflight puts one leg, then another into the jeans, pulling them on according to Winnie's example. Studying the zipper and button, he fastens them together and turns around, looking at her expectantly.

"Are...are you done?" Winnie asks, eyes still closed.

"I-I think so," Lifeflight says. "Th-the shirt did-dn't fit."

Winnie opens her eyes and relaxes. "I'm sorry I don't have anything better, but we need to get over to G's."

"I-It's okay," he murmurs, beginning to shiver again. "But I-I'm f-f-freezing."

"I'm sorry, Barbie clothes aren't designed to be functional. Hmm...I'll be right back." Winnie runs into her room and returns wearing a shirt with a pocket on the front.

Lifeflight looks up at Winnie. Why did she change her shirt?

"You can sit in my pocket, so you won't fall. I'm gonna have to ride Brawny though, is that ok?"

"Uh..." Lifeflight whines. "I w-welcome the pocket-t, but the Pa'li..."

"I swear I'll go slow...but if you're really opposed to it, then I'll go on foot."

"N-No...I-I will do it."

"Okay, then." Winnie sets her hand on the table, palm up, for Lifeflight to stand on.

Walking over to her hand, Lifeflight looks up at her. "I-I don't want to hurt-t you," he says.

"You won't," she says, smiling.

Slowly stepping onto her hand, Lifeflight wobbles, sitting down roughly on her hand, hanging onto her wrist.

Winnie laughs and lifts her hand up to the pocket, sliding the bot into it. "How's that?"

"W-Warm," Lifeflight says softly, snuggling down into the pocket. "You're warm-m."

"I certainly don't get cold." Winnie walks smoothly over to the door and slides on her cloak and boots.

Lifeflight is able to look through the fibers of the shirt to the outside, and watches as Winnie walks outside, then back around to the stable. Winnie readies Brawny and stands on the railing to climb on, instead of swinging on.

"Are you alright?" she asks, looking down into the pocket.

"Y-yeah," Lifeflight says, curling up against her chest. "Y-you are warm."

"Thanks." She looks up, and nudges Brawny into a brisk walk. "Tell me if I go too fast."

"I w-will," Lifeflight says.

Winnie urges Brawny onto the main road, the trees passing swiftly overhead. As they pass by the village she waves and calls to a few people before continuing. Within four minutes she stops Brawny at the door to Base.

She slides off the Pa'li's back and feeds him a sugar cube. The horse nickers and turns to dash home. Winnie walks through the doorway of the mainbay, and skirts around the tall bots coming and going through the halls. Finally she stumbles into the medbay.

"Ratchet? Are you here?"

"Winnifred. What can I help you with?"

"Hi Ratchet! I need to get over to G's house, quickly."

"You needn't ask me," Ratchet says. "The warp pad filters out unknown or unwanted signatures."

"Thank you. But still, I thought I should ask. I'll see ya later!" she calls, jogging over to the warp pad.

"C-Careful," Lifeflight calls, hanging onto the inside of Winnie's pocket.

...

"Sorry," Winnie says, slowing to a walk as she boards the pad.

Appearing on the other side of the warp pad, Winnie arrives in the kitchen.

"Gil?" Winnie calls out.

"Here," G calls from in the living room. "C'mon in."

Winnie reaches into her pocket and pulls out Lifeflight, cupped in her hand. She walks out of the kitchen, looking for the source of her friend's voice.

"Winnie!" G exclaims, finally seeing the huntress. "Oh dear..."

Lifeflight hangs onto Winnie's hand, and G pats the counter. "You can be on the counter, Lifeflight. Are you feeling alright? Are you hungry?"

"Hungry," Lifeflight says quietly. "Thank you f-for carrying me, Winnie."

"You're welcome," she says, smiling and lowering her hand to the counter.

Hopping off, Lifeflight steadies himself, and sits down.

Winnie walks over to Gilli. "What...what happened to him? Do you know?"

"No," G says, "except that whatever happened will revert in a week. One week tiny, and then he changes back. Bumblebee went through a similar stage."

"What did I do?" Bee asks, walking downstairs with Raybeam in one arm.

"Hi, Bee!" Winnie waves at him, then turns to Gilli. "Does Ratchet know anything about this? I met him in the medbay, but thought I should talk to you first."

"He didn't know what happened. This is all we know," G says. "I see you have found some...clothing...for him."

Winnie face turns pink. "Well, it was all I had and...yeah...not the best decision."

"You made do," G says. "Would you like some armor, Lifeflight?"

"Just one," he says. "Th-the rest w-will just get in the way."

"Alright. Do you mind if I carry you?"

"N-No."

"I'll be right back, Dub," G says, picking Lifeflight up and heading for the stairs.

When she leaves Winnie fidgets with the edge of her cloak. "Good crimany."

"Are you hungry?" Bumblebee asks, setting Raybeam down.

"A little, but it's alright, I can eat at the compound." She smiles at Raybeam.

"You're here for breakfast, G said," Bumblebee rumbles, looking down at Raybeam, who has his hands raised to be picked up. "I can make you something."

"Hungry!" Raybeam cries, doorwings flicking to gain Bumblebee's attention.

"Of course you are," Bumblebee says, smiling and picking up the sparkling, setting him on the counter. "Energon?"

"Yah!"

Pouring a toddler's cup of energon, Bee hands it to him and sets Raybeam back down on the floor. "I'm not going to poison you," he says to Winnie, with a hint of humor.

"No, you would do something much worse to me," she laughs.

"What would I do?" Bumblebee asks, setting down the pitcher of energon and leaning across the counter to look into Winnie's eyes, searching for the meaning. "Do you think I blame you for what happened?"

"Well, I blame myself. So..." She looks down and plays peek-a-boo with Raybeam.

"Why?" Bumblebee asks.

"Well...it was my fault, my fail, therefore, it's my turn for the 'blame'."

"How is it your fault?" Bumblebee asks, "You acted upon instinct. It was the right thing to do at the time."

Raybeam drops his cup, picks it up again, and takes a drink.

"Anyhow, you like eggs or pancakes?" Bumblebee asks.

"It's alright, Bee. You don't have to go to the trouble." She taps Raybeam on the shoulder and then spins around pretending nothing happened.

"I have five mouths to feed, not including my own. One more, two more, five, won't be any problem," Bumblebee says. "You weren't here for the reunion."

"The reunion?"

"All of our sparklings came home one year to meet each other, since their births were so spaced out. Scorpion and Spider dropped by too...we don't have any issue feeding large numbers of people."

"Cool. How'd it go?"

"Fine...it was kinda crowded in here. Pancakes or eggs?"

"Pancakes, please." She taps Raybeam on his other shoulder, continuing the game.

"Alright," Bumblebee says with a smile, turning to a cupboard to pull out the ingredients.

"What's it like being small? Like Lifeflight is now."

"Frightening," Bumblebee says, shoulders shuddering. "Everything... everyone are always so much bigger than you. And it's very cold. Somehow, being so small decreases your body temperature and it's constantly very cold."

"I wondered why that was. I thought it was just the lack of armor."

"Nope...I thought that until Ratchet explained what little he hypothesized to us. I was always hungry, and terribly cold."

"I'll remember that. Thank you." She plays with Raybeam, making the toddler giggle.

Footsteps are heard coming down the stairs, and Shield walks into the kitchen. Nodding to Winnie, he walks into the living room and sits on the couch, reading. Blade follows, coming down the stairs noisily and walking into the kitchen, glaring at Winnie before pulling himself up into a bar chair.

"Nice to see you too," Winnie smiles at the red sparkling.

Blade huffs and slides down, walking out into the living room, opening up the porch and stepping outside, shutting the door, and sitting down.

"Sorry," Winnie calls after him.

"He's been in a foul mood as of late," Bumblebee says, mixing the pancake batter. "You like blueberry pancakes?"

"Absolutely!"


	2. Chapter 2

Pulling out a bowl of blueberries from the fridge, he dumps them in, folding them into the batter. Setting a pan on the stove, he turns it on, and pours in some batter for the first pancake.

"How many do you want?" Bumblebee asks.

"I'll just have the one."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, please," she says, smiling.

Flipping the pancake, Bee waits for it to brown. "Do I upset you?" he asks softly, looking back at Winnie from the stove.

Winnie laughs. "No. No you don't, Bee. I'm afraid that I do a pretty good job of upsetting you though."

"Nope," he says, "you are...intriguing. It might be just me, but whenever I come in, you go out."

Winnie looks up quizzically. "Really?"

"I'm not going to beat around the proverbial bush, Winnie. You seem so... carefree... around G and the rest, but when it comes to me... you snap shut. I'm just curious as to why that happens."

"Well... you're G's best friend. I don't want to make you upset anyway... but doubly so because I trust you."

"Hey," Bumblebee says, standing up and grabbing a plate out of a cupboard, sliding it across to Winnie. "You're G's best friend too. I want to be as close to you as she is."

Winnie smiles at him. "Thank you."

Flipping the pancake again, he pulls the pan off the stove and flips the pancake over his shoulder, sending the round disk flying onto Winnie's plate. Reaching into the oven, he gingerly pulls out a hot cup of syrup, setting it down with a pot holder near Winnie.

"Breakfast," he says with a smile, "is served."

Winnie takes a bite of the pancakes. "How are bots so good at making pancakes?"

"You can't make pancakes?" Bumblebee asks. "C'mon you three, how many pancakes do you want?"

"Two," Shield calls.

"Half!" Raybeam squeals, looking up at Winnie and smiling.

"No," Blade grumbles.

Winnie laughs at the various requests "Sure I can make a pancake... but not THIS good."

"I can't help you then," Bee says, pouring more batter. "G will want three and I get the rest. Are you sure I can't tempt you with another?"

"I'm sure."

Steps walk down the stairs, and G comes into the kitchen, Lifeflight held carefully in her hands. He is still wearing the pants, but the sharp angles of armor can be seen under them.

"W-Winnie?" he asks. "Good morning, Bumblebee."

"Morning, Lifeflight," Bee says, flipping a pancake.

"How's the armor fit?"

"It's a-alright," Lifeflight says. "It's a little big."

Setting Lifeflight down on the counter, G reaches into a cupboard, pulling a shot glass out.

"I'm not making shots this early," Bumblebee rumbles, and G laughs.

"No. Lifeflight, you think you can manage a shot glass? I'll have to find our 'tiny instruments' if not."

"I th-think it should b-be okay. W-Would you pour Winnie some, too?"

Winnie finishes her pancake and watches Lifeflight walk over the counter.

Setting the half-full shot glass down near Lifeflight, G pours another full size glass, setting it by Winnie. After filling four more glasses, G sets out plates, which Bumblebee fills with the requested number of pancakes. There is a stack of six left over for himself.

"Are you sure you don't want one?" Bumblebee asks.

"I'm fine, Bee, the one was delicious," Winnie responds.

"Why don't we move over to the table?" G asks. "There is more room over there."

"Okay." Winnie puts a hand down for Lifeflight and picks up his shot glass, and her glass as well.

"I've got the plates," Bumblebee says, scooping up two per hand. "Well, most of them."

"I've got the rest," G says.

Winnie walks to the table and gently sets Lifeflight down on the table.

"Th-thank you," Lifeflight says, watching where Winnie will sit down.

Winnie turns to Gilli. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Nope, sit down and eat," G says, setting the remaining plates down on the dining table. "Shield, Raybeam, breakfast."

The two sparklings come in, pulling themselves up into their chairs.

"Pick a spot and sit," G says, gesturing to Winnie.

Winnie looks back at the table and pulls out the chair closet to Lifeflight's place on the table. Bumblebee sits down diagonally from Winnie, and G across from him. Shield sits down next to Bee, and Raybeam on Winnie's right.

"Blade? Come inside, it's time for breakfast."

"Not hungry."

His answer is stark and cold, but Bumblebee calls to him again.

"If you come in, I'll give you a booster."

Winnie takes a sip of her energon and watches Blade stomp into the doorway. Shutting the door loudly, Blade stalks across to Bumblebee, who reaches into subspace and pulls out a syringe and a cryovial of bond blocker.

Barely pulling any into the syringe, Bee takes Blade's now outstretched arm and injects him. Blade shivers and sighs, a content smile touching his lips. Looking to the empty seat next to G, he sits down, putting his head in his arms on the tabletop.

Winnie, unsure of how to respond, looks down at Lifeflight sitting on the edge of her empty plate. Swiping his finger through some syrup on the edge, Lifeflight sucks on it, looking up at Winnie. The level of energon in his shot glass is down a little, and his tiny rotors flick slightly.

"Do you want some pancake?" Winnie gestures to a chunk of syrup-soaked pancake on the other end of her plate.

Lifeflight shakes his head shyly, licking some more syrup off his hand. "N-No, thank you."

Bumblebee snags the syrup and drizzles it over his stack of pancakes, and then sends it down to Shield. Raybeam giggles and looks up at Winnie, eyes bright.

"Would you like some pancake for your syrup, Monsieur?" Winnie asks Raybeam, picking up her fork. She stabs an imaginary pancake and pretends to shove the whole thing in her mouth, cheeks puffed and chewing loudly.

Raybeam squeals and giggles, looking over at Bee, panels wide and bouncing with joy.

"Eat, silly," Bumblebee rumbles, his panels flicking back at Raybeam.

Raybeam picks up his fork with some difficulty, and sticks his pancake, unsure of what to do with it. In the other room, Oneshot begins to fuss.

"Can someone help Ray?" G asks, standing up and scooting out to go aide Oneshot.

Winnie leans over and gently takes the fork from him. She cuts his pancake into toddler size bits, a few looking like stars. When she's done she moves a few bits into the shape of a smiley face, and hands the fork back to the toddler.

Raybeam takes it with great concentration, sticking a piece of pancake and managing to put it into his mouth. Oneshot quiets in the other room as G tends to him.

Bumblebee takes a knife and slices through his stack, making six pieces out of each pancake. Spearing one, he folds it over and eats it, relishing the soft, fluffy cake. Shield is nearly done, and once he has consumed the last mouthful, picks up his plate, deposits it on the counter, and heads for the reading room.

"What are you doing the rest of this week?" Bumblebee asks, looking to Winnie.

"Um..." Winnie looks down at Lifeflight. "One of the ranchers is bringing his cows down south on Wednesday, and asked me to look them over. Other than that, just a few bits and bobs, after chores. Anything you can think of, Lifeflight?" She looks down at the bot.

"N-No," Lifeflight says. "C-Can I sit with you? I-I'm getting-g cold again."

"Sure." Winnie puts out a hand so he can climb on.

Climbing onto Winnie's hand, Lifeflight hangs on as she pulls him in, lowering him down into her lap, and wraps her arm around him so he won't fall.

"That good?" she smiles down at him.

"Mmm..." he says softly, nuzzling into a flap of her cloak.

"Sounds like your week is pretty free, then. You need any hands for the cattle run?"

"It should be okay. I got ahold of a chute not too long ago, which I can't believe. You can certainly come if you want, though."

"Well, I can come out and make sure they get to you safely," Bumblebee says. "I might bring Wrath or another of the studs for some added power."

"Whatever floats your boat. They shouldn't be too rowdy yet, since they're coming south so early."

"I just don't want you to get harmed."

"Bee, I'm gonna be fine. All I'll be doing is checking up on them." Winnie says laughing.

Bumblebee looks over Winnie's head, and taps on his chest, over his spark chamber.

"Please," he whispers, "I want to get out of the house. I've been confined to bed rest and I'm tired of it."

Winnie blinks. "I'm fine with you coming, but if G or Ratchet wants you to stay put then..." She looks cautiously around the corner for G. "I just don't plan on being beheaded anytime soon."

"I can prevent that," Bumblebee says. "They want me, not you. If you don't want me for the cattle drive, I'll go down through the lower regions of Anilex and look around."

Winnie sighs. "Alright."

Bee smiles. "I think Lifeflight is asleep...he's awfully quiet."

Winnie looks down and blushes. "Cripes. He did. I better get home soon... so I'm going to meet the rancher at 6:30... do you want me to give you the coordinates or meet at the compound?"

"Either," Bumblebee says, taking another bite of pancake.

"It'll probably be easier to go to the compound first. About..6:10?"

"Wednesday morning? Sounds good," Bumblebee says. "Whoops... Raybeam, what are you doing?"

Winnie looks over to Raybeam, who is trying to stuff the last piece of pancake in his little mouth. Raybeam finally squeezes the piece of pancake in, some syrup dripping onto his chest.

"I guess one of us will have another shower this morning," Bumblebee says, smiling and trying not to laugh. "Don't even think about copying him, Winnie. I'm not washing you."

Blade picks himself up, and as he stands up, knocks the syrup over... _all_ _over_ Winnie, her cloak, and her chair. Raybeam is splattered, and Blade stares at the mess he made.

"Blade," Bumblebee says quietly. "Go sit on the porch."

Winnie lifts Lifeflight up and deposits him in the next chair before the syrup gets on him. "No, it's alright, it was just an accident. Right, Blade?" She grabs her napkin and tries to stop the syrup from hitting the floor.

Blade looks at Winnie then to Bumblebee, and grumbles, turning and walking out onto the porch.

"W-Winnie?" Lifeflight asks sleepily.

"Hi, sleepy head," Winnie says, trying to balance a pool of syrup on the hem of her shirt.

"What happened?" he asks.

"Th-that's a bit of a problem," he says.

Walking in with Oneshot, G sees the syrup all over Winnie, the floor, and Raybeam.

"I see what you mean," she says, looking to Bumblebee. "Raybeam, why don't you go get in the shower? Daddy will join you."

Bumblebee sticks his tongue out at G, and stands up, motioning to Raybeam.

"You look... sticky," G says to Winnie.

"Yeah, I'm sorry... I better get home before get the rest of the place sticky... thank you so much, though."

"I was actually going to suggest that you clean up," G says. "You could at least pull of your icky stuff and put it in a bag so that you won't goo up the rest of Base."

"Yeah, I doubt that Ratchet would thank me. But I don't want you to go to the trouble over me."

"I have a bag here. Eew, it's on your shirt - let me go grab one."

Pulling a bag out from under the kitchen sink, G hands it to Winnie, and turns for the stairs. Winnie stands up and peels off her cloak. She drops it into the bag and looks over at Lifeflight, who is sitting on the chair, swinging his legs back and forth.

"Lifeflight?"

"Yes?"

"I-I was thinking... G and Bee are a little more prepared for this kind of thing, and you might... I was wondering if you wanted to stick around here, where you might be more... comfortable... until this wore off." She looks down and bites her lip.

"I-I don't want t-to leave," he says quietly, looking down at his knees. "You'd be alone."

"I-I wouldn't be alone... it would only be for a week, and you would probably be better off..."

"N-No," Lifeflight whimpers, looking up at Winnie, wiping the corner of his eyes. "I-I don't want to leave."


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay...okay, I'm sorry. I just don't want you to get hurt." Winnie crouches down next to him and puts her hand on the chair beside him.

Looking at Winnie, Lifeflight puts his hand on her finger.

"I-I won't get hurt-t," he says softly. "Y-You're there."

Winnie smiles and her cheeks turn a little pink. She straightens up and says quietly, "We're gonna go here, in a bit."

"Okay," Lifeflight says, swinging his legs and watching the jeans swish. "I'll t-try not to fall asleep o-on the way back."

"It's okay if you do," she says, trying to wipe some syrup out of her hair.

"I'll keep th-that in mind," he murmurs as he yawns again.

"Here, will this fit?" G asks, bringing a shirt down the stairs.

"I bet it will, thanks Gil. I'll wash it and get it back to you. Um... do you have a spare bathroom I could change in?" she asks, taking the shirt.

"Er..." G says. "Bumblebee's in the downstairs one...if you go upstairs, second door on your left, is our room, and you can use the bathroom in there. I'll sit with Lifeflight while you go change."

"Thanks." Winnie smiles to her, and hops up the stairs. She finds the room and gently pushes open the door.

Walking in, she sees a slightly messy bed, with a light yellow, torn, ripped, and sewed-together blanket thrown over it. The bathroom door is across from the bed, on the left. Gingerly crossing the room, Winnie opens the bathroom door. She walks in and closes it behind her. Peeling off her syrupy shirt and tries to wipe off as much sticky as she can before putting the other one on.

Winnie turns and places the old shirt in the bag. Tying the top she leaves the bathroom and heads back into the hall, closing each door behind her. She jumps down the stairs and back to the kitchen.

"Gil, I forgot to tell you. On Wednesday, you might want to hold your breath when Bee comes back from helpin' me."

"Why?" G asks.

"Remember vaccinating cows, way back?"

"Oh yes," G says, shifting in her stance. "Do try not to kill him, please?"

"Tell that to the cows." Winnie says, smiling. "Thanks for breakfast and the shirt. I'm sorry I bothered you."

"No problem, no bother," G says. "Are you out of the shower yet?"

"Yup," Bumblebee says, walking out with damp armor. "Why?"

"Could you give Winnie a ride back to the compound?"

"Of course."

"It's alright, I can walk. It's not far."

"I'll take you," Bumblebee says. "I want to make sure you return home safely."

"I'll be _safe_," Winnie sighs, looking up at him.

"You have Lifeflight. And I don't know who knows about him... besides I want to drive on the new road."

"Fine... it's going to be great, Max did an amazing job on it." Winnie looks over to Lifeflight. "Are you ready to go?"

"Y-yep," Lifeflight says, and stands on the chair.

Winnie walks quickly over to the chair and lays a hand down for him to climb on. Climbing up, Lifeflight hangs on tightly to Winnie's sleeve as she picks him up. "Let's go, then."

"I'll see you around, G," Winnie says, giving her a hug, careful not to squish Lifeflight. She calls a quick goodbye to the others and turns to Bee.

"You ready?" Bumblebee asks, "Did you leave anything else?"

"I hope not." Winnie says with a smile.

"Alright," Bumblebee says. "She-humans first."

"Ladies," G corrects.

"Right," he gasps. "Ladies... first."

He gestures to the warp pad. Winnie cradles Lifeflight in the crook of her arm and steps through the pad field.

...

Bumblebee follows close after, and they arrive in medbay.

"Tattoos," Ratchet calls, and Bumblebee grumbles, peeling off his armor to reveal the IDML band tattoos.

Walking out of the medbay, Bumblebee parts the waters, walking straight through the mainbay, all Mecha going around him. Winnie keeps close on his heels, careful of Lifeflight. Bumblebee transforms outside of the mainbay doors, and pops the passenger door for Winnie.

"Hop in."

Winnie clambers into the cozy seat, and she lays Lifeflight down in her lap. Lifeflight looks up at Winnie, eyes beginning to droop with drowsiness.

"Belt," Bumblebee rumbles, and the racing harness slides down from out of nowhere and buckles Winnie in, carefully bypassing Lifeflight.

"I've been in more wrecks than I care to remember," Bee reasons. "Are you easily carsick?"

"As far as I know? Nope."

"Good...I need to know these things," Bee chuckles, firing up his engine with a roar. "Let's roll."

Winnie tightens the seatbelt nervously.

"I've got a smooth suspension," Bumblebee says softly, voice echoing through his inner speakers. "It won't be rough."

Lifeflight sits against Winnie, hand wrapped in her shirt. Slowly, he drifts back to sleep. Bumblebee begins to move, and the scenery passes quickly. Winnie smiles at Lifeflight as a warm feeling spreads through her. Pulling up to the compound, Bumblebee quietly opens the door, and the belts retract silently from Winnie's form.

"I'll see you Wednesday," he murmurs.

"You too. And thank you again, those were great pancakes. Thank you for everything," she whispers, careful not to wake the tiny mech.

"No problem," he answers, voice soft.

Walking into her house, Winnie looks for a place to lay Lifeflight. Finally, she makes a decision. She carefully walks into the bay room and picks up Lifeflight's blanket, and another quilt on the floor. She takes the bundle outside and lays Lifeflight at the base of a tree. She quickly fashions a hammock between two close trees, and lays the blue bot in it. After wrapping him in his blanket, she turns to do her chores.

...

Lifeflight wakes up a few hours later, gently swinging in the makeshift hammock. Where's Winnie?

"Winnie?" he asks, sitting up.

"Lifeflight? Are you up?" She pokes her head out from the kennels.

"Y-yes," he says, "wh-where are you?"

"Right here." She walks over to him, with hay in her hair.

"O-Oh good," he says, relieved. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Looking for my comlink...I think I dropped it...are you hungry?" she asks, yanking at the hay.

"Y-yes," he says, looking up at her.

"What would you like?"

"A-anything, a-although I need to o-overload," he says shyly. "P-pardon."

"Okay. Here, I'll take you in." She holds out a hand to the mech on the wobbly hammock. He cautiously reaches out, taking Winnie's hand and pulling himself up and into it.

"Whew," he says, once situated.

"Are you alright?" she asks him, walking towards the house.

"Y-yes," he says. "N-not sleepy anymore...it seems l-like there is always one need after another, and th-that dominates my thinking. Hungry, must eat. Cold, must heat."

"It makes sense, though." Winnie says, as she walks through the door.

"I-it does?" Lifeflight asks. "How?"

"Smaller animals are constantly in motion, ready to run from larger threats. Therefore, they need more food to keep up that energy; their metabolisms are higher and they need to keep warm. They also sleep a lot during they day. So in effect, you're kind of... a hamster right now."

She comes into the bathroom and sets Lifeflight on the counter beside the sink.

"W-Wow," he says, looking up at Winnie. "I-I absolutely find it fascinating-g, b-but-"

Winnie's eyes widen. "I'm sorry...I think that you'll have to go in the... in the sink. I don't really have much else... I'm sorry."

She turns and walks out, closing the door behind her.

...

Lifeflight sighs, and after he is through, sits on the edge of the counter, swinging his legs. That blue line down to the drain will be embarrassing for Winnie to see.

"Winnie?" he asks, quietly.

Winnie, not hearing him, busies herself in the kitchen.

"What do I make a mech for lunch?" she asks herself. Up until a little while ago he'd only eaten energon. "What does he like?"

"W-Winnie?" Lifeflight tries, again.

This time Winnie freezes. "Lifeflight, was that you?"

"W-Winnie?" Lifeflight asks, a little more anxiously.

She walks down to the bathroom door. "Are you done?"

"Y-yeah," he says quietly. "D-Did you find your comlink o-outside?"

"No. Brawny must've hid it," she says, opening the door a crack.

"I-I'm presentable," he says softly.

"Good." Winnie opens the door. "I know you said you'd like anything for lunch, but what would you like?"

"Um..." Lifeflight says, swinging his legs. "What are y-you having?"

"I-I don't know yet..."

"I-if you're hungry, th-that is," Lifeflight says. "I-I know there is-s an open cube of energon in th-the fridge."

"Well, let's go see what we can find."

Winnie lays a hand down for Lifeflight. Seeing the blue streak in the sink, she turns on the water for a second, washing it away.

"I-I c-couldn't reach the faucet," Lifeflight says quietly, hanging onto Winnie's hand.

"It's okay," Winnie smiles down at him.

She turns and walks smoothly into the back into the kitchen. Now a small chair and table sit on the counter, where she sets Lifeflight down.

"Wh-What is this?" he asks, looking over the tiny set curiously.

"I just... I didn't know if you wanted to sit on the counter all the time.. and I had this, it... er... it's a stupid idea. Sorry," Winnie says, reaching for the furniture.

"N-No..." Lifeflight says quietly. "I-It's my size."

Slowly easing down into the chair, he looks up at Winnie. "N-Now, if only I had a tiny Winnie," he jokes.

"Yeah, really. Then you would have a person to make big mistakes and and a person to make little ones," she says, smiling. "So where did that energon go?"

Searching through the fridge, she finds a block of cheese, the cube of energon, and a chilled sausage of crackers. "Do you like cheese and crackers?"

"U-Um... what's a c-cracker?" Lifeflight asks.

"Uhh, it's this." Winnie sets the open cube of energon on the table and pulls a box of club crackers from the cupboard. Breaking off a small piece she gingerly hands it to him. Taking the piece from Winnie, he nibbles on it.

"I-I think I do," he says softly. "I've n-never had a cr-cracker b-before."

"Well, now you have," she says, breaking off more bits and setting them on a piece of napkin on the table. "Have you had cheese before?"

"I've used-d it t-to make tortillas," he offers.

"Mmm...would you like some? I have some cheddar, and some goat cheese too." She takes out the cheddar and cuts herself a slice.

"Mmm...the cheddar sounds n-nice," Lifeflight says.

Winnie cuts off a few small pieces and then pours the energon into a mug, smaller than Gilli's shot glasses. She sets the food on his little table and pulls a chair over to the counter.

"I f-feel like a t-turbomouse," Lifeflight says.

Winnie laughs. "Then you better hope Creamy isn't hungry."

Lifeflight's eyes widen, and he looks around for the cat. "P-please d-don't-t let th-that happen-n," he whispers, looking up at Winnie.

"I won't, it's alright. Creamy knows you. And, she's not much of a mouser. One ran right in front of her nose, and she just yawned," Winnie says, mentally kicking herself.

"O-Oh," Lifeflight says, shoulders relaxing.

After he munches down most of the pieces of cracker and cheese, he watches Winnie finish hers. "Wh-what are you g-going to do now?" he asks.

"Probably try and find that lost comlink. Are you still hungry?" she asks, brushing crumbs from the counter.

"N-No," Lifeflight says, drinking the rest of his energon. "C-Can I follow you?"

"Sure," she says."Tell me if you need anything."

She stands up and puts her hand beside the tiny table. Clambering onto Winnie's hand, Lifeflight hangs on as she walks. Winnie passes out of the house, but leaves the door open. When she walks into the stable she sets Lifeflight on a post. Brawny is in the opposite corner, splashing water against the wall. Winnie smiles at the bot before crouching down and sifting through the pile of fresh hay in the corner.

"Wh-What channel d-did you leave it on?" Lifeflight asks. "I m-might be able to pinpoint-t the signal."

"Try W-103. That might be it." She sticks her head deep into the dry grass.

"O-Okay," Lifeflight says, and coms the earpiece. "H-Hello? Can you hear m-me?"

"Wait, say that again." Winnie digs deeper into the hay.

"H-Hello?" Lifeflight asks, "C-Can you hear me?"

Winnie shuffles around as Lifeflight talks. Stumbling out of the crunchy hay she freezes. Feeling around in her back pocket, she pulls out the missing com. "Wow... I'm an idgit," Winnie says, laughing.

"W-Wow," Lifeflight says, laughing with her. "I-I wouldn't have thought i-it would be there."

"It's almost always there...I never thought to look. Thank you," she says, rolling it in her hand.

"I-if you p-put it in your ear, th-then I c-could talk to you," Lifeflight says. "S-so I don't g-get lost."

Winnie holds her hand out for Lifeflight to jump onto. "I won't lose you," she replies, but she puts the com into her ear anyway.

Yawning, Lifeflight sighs. "W-Well, would you l-look at th-that," he murmurs. "Sl-Sleepy again. I'm a-afraid I'm not much fun."

"Lifeflight, having you here has been some of the best times I've had in a while." She walks him back outside. "Do you want to sleep in the hammock?"

"Wh-where will y-you be?" he asks.

"I'll stick to the woods close to the compound. Close enough so you can call me." Carefully, she sets Lifeflight down in his blanket.

"O-Okay," he murmurs, curling up in the sun-warmed blanket. "Th-Thank you..."

"You're welcome," Winnie says softly, before backing up into the house.


	4. Chapter 4

Winnie runs into her room, quickly stringing a bow, along with grabbing her quiver and arm-guard. She rolls her shoulders and sprints out of the house, to where her many targets are set up.

As she slides on the arm guard, she trembles with excitement. This will be the first time she has shot a bow after the incident with Oculus. She puts in one headphone and starts up her iPod.

Bouncing slightly to the music, Winnie starts the exercise. She fires shot after shot, a little shaky at first, but gaining momentum. After satisfied with the warm-up, she moves deeper into the forest.

...

A good hour and a half go by, Winnie shooting every target. Finally through, she flops on the ground, sweat beading on her face. Winnie takes the final target, right above her head, in the rafters of a tree. But as she lets the arrow fly, a gust of wind picks it up and carries it off course. The arrowhead lodges with a thunk into the branch beside her target, and Winnie groans.

Breathing hard, she stands up and looks to the sky. A huge anvil cloud pulses over the Ara range. The wind picks up as Winnie wipes the sweat off of her forehead.

"No." She turns and begins to race back along her path to Lifeflight.

...

Lifeflight is awoken by a swinging motion. Sitting up, he is nearly dumped out of his hammock by wave of air, blowing past fiercely.

"O-Oh dear," he says, as the hammock blows and whips in the wind. "W-Winnie?"

...

Winnie crashes through the forest, only aware of two things: Lifeflight's danger and the silence of every bird in Alondra.

"Please be okay," Winnie curses herself, sliding in the mud as it begins to rain. "Please."

...

Lifeflight hangs on tightly as the hammock pitches, and it tears free, billowing around him. The blanket is caught in the wind, and it carries him across the yard, slamming into the side of the house.

As the blanket blows back and forth, it catches on a communications spire on the roof of the compound.

...

As the wind picks up even further, Winnie pushes past a large bush, only to have her cloak hung up on the thorns.

"Ow! Let me go!" Winnie struggles with the bush for a moment, before unfastening her cloak and continuing onward. "I'm coming, Lifeflight!"

...

Lifeflight clings to the blanket, and the wind lets up a moment, and he bangs down onto the roof. He sees Winnie racing up to the house, and looks down at her fearfully.

"Winnie!" he cries.

Winnie bursts into the clearing and drops her bow, looking frantically around for the little bot. "Lifeflight? Where are you?! Lifeflight!"

She sees the blankets fluttering on the roof but can't hear the small bot. Winnie runs over and starts to climb the shaky woodpile beside the house to retrieve the blankets. Lifeflight remembers his com, and makes the connection to Winnie.

"H-help!" he cries. "I'm i-in m-my b-blanket-t!"

Winnie doesn't hear him, with the com being in her back pocket because of her workout. She climbs onto the slick roof.

"L-Lifeflight? Oh no, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

She scrabbles on the roof, tears starting to leak from her eyes. Her hands start to slide and she grabs onto the green blanket. Lifeflight squeals as Winnie slides down the roof, being thrown about inside the blanket. There is a crash as they land in a soft bush below. Winnie hears Lifeflight's scream in the fall, and holds on tightly to the blanket. When she sits up, she slowly peels away the folds.

"L-Lifeflight? Are you alright?" she asks, as the rain pounds her face.

Lifeflight is shivering hard, and as soon as Winnie opens the blanket, he presses into her chest, curling into her. He trembles in fear, quiet cries loud against the rain.

"Gosh... Lifeflight, I'm so sorry. I feel horrid leaving you out there... I'm so sorry. I'll never... I'm sorry."

Winnie hugs him, and stands up, climbing out of the bush. She walks inside, shutting the door against the rain, and flips the light switch, but finds the power is out. Next, she lights a lamp. Sitting down in her love seat, she uncovers Lifeflight once again to make sure he is whole. Hand gingerly running over his back, she slides it over his legs, determining he is intact and unhurt.

"Lifeflight?" Winnie asks quietly.

"W-W-W-Winnie?" He hiccups, and curls against her warmth, now starting to shiver from the cold.

"I'm sorry."

She quickly stands up, and walks to the fireplace in the corner. She lays the blanket and Lifeflight in her lap, fumbling to start the fire. Once it flames up to a warm red glow, she leans back and pulls a dry quilt from a basket next to the chair she leans against. Winnie slowly unfolds the little mech from the sopping blanket. She wrings it out and tucks him into the quilt and his blanket. She sits back as his shivers start to subside, and hers begin.

"A-are y-you-ou in-n an i-ikran z-zone?" Lifeflight asks quietly, between his drying tears.

Winnie starts as he speaks."There's a few on the m-mountains. Why?"

"A-A l-large ob-object-t is incoming," he whimpers, pressing into Winnie's shirt.

"Oh n-" Winnie curls up to shield the bot as a spruce tree crashes through the living room.

The wind rushes in, accompanied be splinters of wood and gouged out rafters. She stands up and stumbles towards the hallway, embers of the doused fire flying through the air as she wrenches open the door to the basement. She leaps down the stairs and puts Lifeflight on the lowest step.

"I need to find King and the rest. I'll be back in two minutes," she tells him.

Lifeflight cowers back, huddling against the step. As Winnie moves away, he shivers and whispers, "D-Don't leave me."

"I won't leave... I-I'll be right back."

Lifeflight shivers and presses against the step.

...

Winnie races up the stairs, and into the storm above. Stumbling over the rubble of her house to the kennels, she opens King's door and calls him out. The dog follows reluctantly to the stables. Brawny calls and kicks the sides of his stall. Winnie, heart pounding, she calms the horse enough so he can be led out.

"Thank you," she says, as they pick their way across the yard.

Once in front of the door she wrenches it open and leads Brawny carefully down the steps. "Lifeflight, are you still okay?" she asks, carefully avoiding the last step. She ties Brawny to a loop in the concrete wall a few feet down.

"H-help," he whimpers, looking up at Winnie.

He shivers with cold and fright, and then raises his arms to be picked up. Winnie bends over and gently picks up the small mech. She looks anxiously up the stairs just as Creamy comes walking down, looking more annoyed than fearful. Winnie returns up the stairs to the open door. Before yanking it closed again, she sees another tree shudder through the roof. She stumbles down the stairs, talking to Lifeflight.

"P-Please d-don't-t leave m-me-e i-in the d-dark-k like that-t again," Lifeflight whispers.

"I-I'm sorry Lifeflight...I didn't know how soon I would be back." she says, putting a hand on his back. "You were safe."

"_A-Alone_, " he whimpers.

"No...not anymore."

She reaches the bottom of the stairs and settles against the wall. King curling up beside her, she shivers. The room is illuminated by Brawny's biolights. Winnie shifts in her place, and reaches into her back pocket, pulling out her crushed com.

"I knew you should've stayed at G's," she says, as she dumps the electronic on the concrete.

Lifeflight shivers and presses himself closer to Winnie. "B-B-But you'd be-e alone."

"You'd have been safe... gosh, I'm sorry Lifeflight."

"Th-the l-last-t thing I w-want-t to do is-s leave you," he says. "Wh-what happened t-to your-r com?"

"I fell," she mumbles, remembering the smashed bush. "But... Lifeflight I think we are going to have to go."

"O-Okay," Lifeflight murmurs. "Wh-What can I d-do?"

"I need you to call G for me. We need to get you someplace where you can stay warm and actually eat."

"Wh-where a-are you going-g?" Lifeflight says. "Y-you need-d to come with me."

"I'll come for a little while," Winnie says, looking down at him."But I don't know how King will act. And I need to help people in the village."

"I-I will com," he says softly. "L-Lifeflight to Blaster."

"Yo, mech, wazzup?"

"I-I need y-you to put-t me through t-t-to number two-oh-three."

"Connectin'."

The line buzzes for a moment, and then Bumblebee picks up. "Lifeflight? What's up?"

"I-I n-need-d immediate p-pickup at m-my current location," Lifeflight says, "a t-tree went through W-Winnie's home."

"I'll be right there," Bumblebee says.

The line ends, and Lifeflight looks up at Winnie. "B-Bumblebee is on h-his way."

"Good." Winnie shifts Lifeflight in his bundle, onto the floor beside Brawny and pulls herself up. She walks down the row of crates and tears the lid of one off.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Lifeflight asks.

"I'm going to need to ride Brawny through the debris, and there's a good chance that King won't go near Bumblebee," she says, pulling out a muzzle from one crate and then opening another. Lifeflight watches Winnie pull more things out of the other crate, and she continues talking.

"Creamy can ride inside Bee. And, when you get to their house, will you make sure Brawny doesn't cause trouble?" she asks, strapping the muzzle on King.

Lifeflight flicks his helicopter blades, and looks up at Winnie. He shivers, pulls up a piece of the quilt to his shoulders, and then looks back up at Winnie, eyes bright with emotion.

"I-I'm _six inches tall_," he says, voice tinged with a little anger, "I w-will d-do whatever I can...p-please, can I sit in your pocket? M-My core t-t-temperature is...is..."

Lifeflight huddles down in the blanket, denta beginning to chatter.

"Yeah... I'm sorry Lifeflight." Winnie says softly, picking him up to cradle him in the crook of her arm, trying to keep him warm.

She reaches around into a box and pulls out a glove warmer. Activating it and hands it to him. "Try this."

Lifeflight shivers and his denta clack, as he presses against Winnie, looking for heat. As the warmer is presented to him, he pulls it into his chest, shivering still. Searching for more heat, he climbs slowly up Winnie's arm, onto her shoulder. Seeing her bare neck, he presses against her warm skin.

"M-Much better," he whispers.

Winnie hugs him and shivers herself. "I'm sorry," she whispers, again.

An engine roars up outside, and Bumblebee transforms, calling in for Winnie. "Lifeflight? Winnie? Are you safe?!"

Winnie quickly grabs Lifeflight's blanket and rushes up the stairs, and leans on the door. "Here, Bumblebee! The door's jammed!"

"That will be no issue," he calls from the other side. "Are you hurt in any way?"

"No, but Lifeflight's freezing!" She kicks her foot at the wooden door.

"Step back from the door," Bumblebee says. "It's coming off."

Winnie hops down a few steps and calls to Creamsicle. "Is the doorway clear?" Bumblebee asks.

Winnie picks up her cat in her free arm and calls, "Yes!"

"Good."

A crack resonates through the room, and the door is removed in one go. Bumblebee peeks in, seeing Winnie holding the cat.

"C'mon, let's go," he says, looking up at the storm. "Everything is getting worse. Who and what is all in here?"

"Brawny and King are still down here. You'll need to take these two and get Lifeflight warm." She rushes back up the concrete steps.

"Do you have a place for King to go?" Bumblebee calls after her. "If he is muzzled you could sedate him."

"I might have some sedative...will you transform and take these two for a bit?" She asks as Lifeflight starts to shiver again.

"Yes."

Reaching in, Bumblebee pulls Creamsicle into one arm, and Lifeflight is deposited into his other hand.

"W-Winnie," Lifeflight says, as he is pulled back into Bumblebee's secure arms.

"It's alright, Lifeflight!" Winnie calls as she runs downstairs. Within a few minutes she returns with a drowsy King in her arms.

"It hasn't fully gone through his system yet, but he should be fine."

"Okay," Bumblebee says, reaching for the dog, after he sets Lifeflight down for a moment. "Why don't you take Lifeflight and Brawny, and ride back with me? I will take Wrath and come back to help you and the villagers."

"Lifeflight needs to be in the cab... it's too cold as it is. I need to bring Brawny to your house, and it's going to be hard enough without another scared horse running around."

"Come, then," Bumblebee says. "Your dog and cat are an armful. I'm calling for a ground bridge. Bumblebee to Blaster."

*static*

"Bumblebee to Blaster."

*static*

"Well, looks like we're going on foot," Bumblebee says. "C'mon, Winnie. Get your Pa'li geared and let's go."

Winnie clambers down the stairs and gently leads the frightened Pa'li up the stairs, saddled and ready.

"Here, give me the reigns," Bumblebee says, balancing King and Creamsicle in one arm. "Lifeflight, are you in a secure place?"

"Y-Yes," Lifeflight answers.

"Why?" Winnie says handing the reins over.

"So you can walk safely up here without worrying Brawny will get away," Bumblebee answers. "C'mon."

Winnie climbs to where Bee stands, and takes the reins back from him. "Thanks."

"Now, no stopping," Bumblebee says. "We're going straight to Base. G will send a warp gate then."

"Okay." Winnie swings onto Brawny's back, t-shirt plastered to her skin. "Keep up."

"I will try not to run off the road," Bumblebee says, transforming. "Lifeflight."

The little medic looks up to see Bumblebee's holoform picking him up and depositing him in the passenger seat. Flashing his lights, Bumblebee starts his engine.

"Be careful."

Winnie kicks Brawny and the two start towards the Base. Bumblebee begins to roll, and pulls up onto the road, picking up greater speed. As he nears Base, the road turns into mud, and as Base comes into view, his tires spin a little before he finally drives up to the mainbay doors, following Winnie.

"Here's the gate...go through, Winnie."

A blue hole appears in the air. Winnie grabs Brawny's mane and urges him on. The horse whinnies, but jumps through. Bumblebee follows soon after, and the world goes from a rainy windstorm to a calm, autumn evening.

"Are you alright?" Bumblebee asks, transforming. He holds Creamsicle by the scruff, Lifeflight in his other hand, and King is slung over his shoulder.

"Yes," her shoulders heave. "Are you? Is Lifeflight?" She slides off the sopping horse.

"I-I'm okay," Lifeflight says.

"Good." Winnie turns to Bee. "I'm so incredibly sorry, Bee, but I have to go back."

"Would you hold on a minute?" he asks tersely. "I'll go with you, but I need to deliver Lifeflight to G. And Creamsicle, and King. Hang on."

Walking briskly up the porch, Bumblebee lays King on the mat, and opens the door, releasing Creamsicle.

"G?" he calls. "Come get Lifeflight."

She appears in the doorway, and takes Lifeflight from Bumblebee. Bumblebee steps down from the porch. "Come on, Winnie. I'll grab Wrath and we'll go."

"Bee, I don't want to take the horses into the storm. Can you put Brawny away? He needs some down time." Winnie rings out her hair and looks around for the blue hole again.

"I'll put Brawny away...but if you're going back, I'm coming."

"Wait fifteen minutes first. Please?"

"What will you be doing?" Bumblebee asks. "I'm not letting you go out into the storm alone."

"It'll be better if I do go alone, at least for a little bit. I don't know how they're holding up out there... a mech might make it worse, might make it better. Wait fifteen minutes."

"Hmm..." Bumblebee grumbles, "I'm not sure..."

Reaching for the reigns, he takes them from Winnie and guides Brawny towards the barn, still thinking over his decision. While Bee is turned, Winnie braces herself and leaps through the still open bridge into the lashing wind. Picking herself up, she run towards the village.

...

Bumblebee hears the warp gate accept a signature, and sighs. Where does Winnie find so much...vigor? Easing Brawny into a stall, he pulls the gear off of him and throws on a light sheet. Tightening his armor again, Bee steps through the gate, intent on going back to Base.


	5. Chapter 5

Winnie pounds down the main road, and soon comes upon the main entrance to the village. The villagers had done their part; tarps were secured over the thatched and slated roofs, animals were put away. There were a few new families, and they were the only ones who did not see the storm coming. Their open shutters slam in the wind, and Winnie runs over to help the closest house.

...

Bumblebee steps into the rain, peeking into Base to make sure everything is in it's place. The mainbay doors are being lowered to close out the wind, and Bumblebee moves on.

...

Winnie shouts to the inhabitants of the first house. A lanky man struggles with his Pa'li, and a woman stands in the doorway, dragging a crying toddler to the door. The roof shudders as Winnie approaches...and all at once, the poorly bound roof lurches and is flicked carelessly into the garden, behind the house. The child squeals and hides in his mother's skirt.

...

Bee hears the tearing of the roof and goes faster, searching for Winnie.

...

Shouting over the wind, Winnie takes the reins from the man's hand and sends him back to the doorway with his family. The wild mule calms slightly, and Winnie turns to the family standing by the house. Within moments, Bumblebee is rolling up, flinging new gravel from the road.

"Winnie!" he calls. "Get back! The walls are unstable!"

Seeing one wall of the walls tremble, she releases the reins. Instead of backing up, she runs to the house, waving at the family to get back. She stumbles against the wind, struggling to reach them.

Bumblebee transforms, and dodges the running horse, going for Winnie instead. Winnie reaches the family first, and as one of the nearby walls collapses in towards the doorway, Bumblebee shoves up against it, growling as it pushes him backwards. Winnie looks up startled and runs to the family. She grabs the man's shoulder, who stares up at Bee in surprise.

"Is there anyone else?" she questions.

"Y-yeah," the man croaks.

Winnie pushes him towards the edge of the clearing. He gets the idea and continues, taking his wife too. Shooting Bee a glance, Winnie hurries into the house.

"Hurry, Winnie," Bumblebee says, watching another wall begin to move.

...

Winnie ducks and dodges loose objects, propelled by the wind. She stumbles forward, calling unintelligible words in the wind. She makes her way to the back of a house, the walls beginning to shake as she looks into a small room. A teenage girl is on her knees, at the base of a set of drawers. "Come on, Momo. Here kitty."

Winnie sighs and runs to the girl. Pulling her to her feet Winnie says calmly to the girl. "Get out. I'll get him."

The girl turns, and sprints down the hall. A crash is heard, and Winnie knows a wall has fallen. "I hope your girl got out, kitty."

Winnie crouches beside the dresser, and a pair of yellow eyes blink back at her.

"I'm sorry," Winnie murmurs, and shoves her hand underneath the drawers.

The cat's claws sink into her arm as the cat twists and flails. Winnie squeaks but grabs the cat's scruff, and she drags the animal out and runs from of the room, walls shuddering. She leaps over the fallen furniture and back into the wind.

Bumblebee stands by the doorway, holding another wall up, as Winnie races past him. The girl cries, spotting Winnie, and when Winnie is out, Bumblebee releases the wall. The house comes crashing down in the fierce wind, and he stands in the rubble; the only place remaining is the front porch.

"Are you all safe?" he asks, looking at the humans standing in the rain.

The man nods holding the girl close. Winnie walks over to her and hands her the cat. "Bumblebee will take you someplace safe. I'll find your horse."

"Winnie, I'm not big enough to carry all of them," Bee says. "Shouldn't I be the one going to get the mule?"

"You can take a few at a time. And why would you get the Pa'li?" Winnie looks up at Bee.

Bee shrugs. "You're sopping. I cannot be harmed by this weather. If the horse is eaten by an animal and you find it, you could be eaten too."

"Nothing is out there that is going to eat a full grown Pa'li. I won't be 'harmed' by a little rain either. And if that horse hurts itself, I can help it."

"Okay," Bumblebee says. "Come with me, then."

He guides the family in the direction of Metroplex. "Winnie? I'm taking them to Metroplex, he will give them shelter... I'll come back."

"Don't hurry," she says, taking off after the sliding tracks of the Pa'li. After depositing the family at Metroplex's gate, Bumblebee talks with the city.

"Have all the comlines gone down?"

"Unfortunately, yes. A main conduit was hit and the entire system is down. Why? Do you need to make a contact?"

"Yes... send out a burst to Base detailing the destruction of the human settlements. They need backup...our closest settlement is okay for now, but the others might need more help."

"On it."

...

Winnie follows the horse's path into the Alondra Forest. The poor Pa'li was running, and had stepped on its reins several times. Hopefully it hasn't broken a leg. Winnie tracks it around the village's treed edge as the wind begins to dissipate...but the rain becomes ever stronger, and harder. She feels every drop as it hits her soaked t-shirt and mud covered shorts, but it makes her smile.

...

Bumblebee drives back into the village, checking over the houses. The rest of them are clear, except for one, which appears to be empty. He sends out a field to see if he can find Winnie, but she is outside of his range. Parking in the village, he sits beside the collapsed building, waiting for her to come back.

...

Winnie climbs over a fallen tree, listening for the lost animal. Almost at once, she hears the snorts. She bounds over the dripping brush and into a small clearing. The mule is at one end, reins caught in the branches of a nearby bush. Without faltering, Winnie walks softly towards the bush, instead of the horse.

She approaches the foliage and reaches for the Pa'li's reins. The horse rears slightly, but Winnie doesn't flinch. She reaches into the bush and yanks the reins out. Without further retaliation, the Pa'li follows her as she walks back to the village.

Bumblebee watches Winnie walk out of the woods, sopping wet, horse following placidly behind. She leads the animal into a nearby stable, and presumably leaves it there, as she comes back empty-handed. Transforming in a whirl, Bumblebee stands up, inspecting Winnie as she nears him.

"You're soaked," he says, looking her over.

"I haven't noticed," Winnie says, grinning up at the bot.

"If you take off your wet things, I'll give you a blanket or two," Bumblebee says. "I'll drive you back."

"Uh...it's alright Bee, I can walk. I want to see how much damage is on the road."

"You can see from the window," he reasons, transforming again. "I'm not going to ogle you, if that's what your wondering about. Hop in."

Winnie flushes. "How 'bout I sit on the blanket? That way I won't muck up your seat."

Bumblebee chuckles, and his holoform appears outside of his vehicle form, opening his driver's seat door.

"Madam," he teases, spreading a blanket out across the black leather. "Wilt thou ride with me?"

Winnie curtsies in play. "I shall, good sir."

She sits on the blanket and slides her muddy boots off before putting her feet on the floor mats. Picking the boots up, she sets them in her lap and draws smiley faces in the dirt. Bumblebee shuts the door, and his holoform "sits" down next to Winnie in the passenger seat. He looks to her.

Winnie reaches for the seatbelt and sees Bee. "What?" she asks, turning to see what he might be looking at.

"I don't know," he says, "do you want to drive?"

"Uhh...aren't you 'driving' already?" She looks at his holoform, puzzled.

"I can transfer it from internal to external," he explains. "Then you can drive...if you wanted."

Winnie pales. "Uh...I-I'm good, Bee. It's okay," she squeaks.

"Okay," he says, and his engine starts with a roar. Shifting into first, he pulls onto the road, heading back towards Base.

"You _can_ drive, right?" he asks, looking out the window.

"Let's pretend the answer is yes." She looks down at the steering wheel. "It's like pancakes."

"Ah," Bumblebee says. "You could come down to the track...G comes sometimes. You could practice."

Winnie laughs. "I don't think that would end too well."

"Eh, you can't do too much damage," Bee says, face pressed to the window. "You'd have to seriously drop a gear tier to screw me up. I'm pretty easy to drive."

Winnie sighs. "It sounds fun, but it.. it's been a while. I would probably find a way to mess up." Winnie scans the surroundings for fallen logs and other debris.

"Nah. I'm always open for a drive."

Rolling up to the warp gate, Bumblebee touches it with his hood, and they are taken away to Tyrus.

...

The clear sky is bright from the stars and the still fading sun, when Winnie steps out in her squishy socks. She scans around, looking for a sign of her pets.

"Your dog was brought around to the side, we have a kennel over there for wild things...your cat is inside, and Brawny is safe and sound in the stable. Lifeflight has been waiting for you," Bee says. "Take off your socks and leave your wet things on the porch. Which shower do you want?"

"Um. Either is fine, thank you." Winnie looks towards the house. "Is Lifeflight okay?"

"Yep, a little sleepy," Bee says, stepping up onto the porch and shedding wet armor, pockets of water splashing onto the wood. "Upstairs or downstairs?"

Winnie quickly looks at her feet. "Down."

"Alright," Bee says, pulling off his breastplate. "G?"

Walking out onto the porch, G runs over to Winnie and hugs her, shirt dampening with water.

"You're safe."

"Well duh," Winnie makes a face at her friend.

"C'mon. Hot towel is sitting on the counter in the washroom, go take a hot one and come out to eat. Lifeflight has been waiting for you... the sparklings are in bed, so no worries."

"You have no idea how awesome you are. Thanks." Winnie pulls off her wet socks before stepping on the porch, and then hops into the house.

Winnie finds the bathroom, and closes the door behind her. Peeling off her slimy clothes, she shivers. Turning on the water, she sticks her muddy hand in. It's already warm. Hopping in, Winnie smiles at the feeling of the hot water and steam. When she is through, she steps out and wraps the towel around her.

With nothing else available, she wrings out her shirt in the sink, and rinses it to clean as much mud as possible out. She puts the clothes on and watches the last bit of murky water disappear down the drain. Walking into the main area, she sees G in the kitchen, fiddling with a spoon.

"You're out," G says, setting the spoon down. "Whatcha hungry for?"

"Anything you can throw at me, Gil. I could eat a cow." Winnie says plodding into the kitchen.

"Sorry, no beef right now...how does ramen sound? I've got that heated," G says, pulling the lid off the pot, sitting on the stove.

Winnie sticks her tongue out. "You know what I _like_." She inhales the heavenly smell from the pot, then looks around. "Is..is Lifeflight still up?"

"I think so," G says, "he insisted on waiting for you to arrive...he was lying on a blanket on the sofa. Go check, and by then I'll have you dished up."

"Thanks."

Winnie walks softly over to the couch and looks over the back. Lifeflight is curled up in his blanket, breathing deep and even. Winnie smiles, relieved to see a difference from the freezing bot earlier. She reaches out a hand, and then pulls back. He needs the rest. Turning, she walks back towards the kitchen.

"Here you go," G says, setting the ramen bowl down in front of Winnie, with a small glass of energon, a glass of milk, and a fork. "Don't worry about eating all that, if you're not that hungry."

"Are you crazy? Thank you so much." Winnie starts to dig in and swallows the noodles. "Did you already eat?"

"Winnie, it's ten-thirty," G says. "I've fed and watered everyone, fed myself, and fed Lifeflight. We've all eaten except you and Bee...and speaking of him, here he comes."

Bumblebee walks down the stairs, enough armor on to be presentable. G sets a larger bowl down next to Winnie, with a full glass of energon and a fork.

"Come eat," she says.

Satisfied, Winnie digs back in trying not to slurp and slop. After the ramen is gone, she sips slightly slower on the milk.


	6. Chapter 6

Bumblebee cleans his bowl, which is refilled with seconds. He drinks the energon, and that is also refilled. After he downs the second ramen and energon, he picks up his dishes, setting them down lightly in the sink. Winnie drinks the rest of her milk and mimics Bee, coming back for her energon.

"Thank you," she says quietly to each of them.

"No problem," Bumblebee says, yawning. "Are you headed to bed?"

"Um...would...would you mind if I spent the night? I can get the house cleaned up tomorrow, but..."

"Sure, stay all week," Bumblebee says with another yawn. "I'll come by and pull the trees out. C'mon, come to bed. There will be plenty to do in the morning."

"May I sleep on the couch? Lifeflight might wake up and be worried." Winnie glances over her shoulder to the couch.

"There's a room upstairs for you. Take Lifeflight with you...he wanted to sleep in your room tonight," G says, shutting off the lights in the kitchen.

Winnie can feel her ears heat. "Thank you." She walks over to the couch, and gingerly picks Lifeflight up in the blanket.

"W...Winnie?" Lifeflight mumbles, slowly coming around as Winnie walks up the stairs, followed by Bumblebee and G.

"Go back to sleep, it's late," she whispers, letting G and Bee take the lead.

"C-Can I s-sleep with you tonight-t?" Lifeflight murmurs, yawning.

"I'll be here," she says, as G opens the door to the spare room.

"Sleep well," G says, leaving Winnie alone.

"W-Would you l-leave a light-t on?" Lifeflight asks quietly, looking up at Winnie.

Winnie nods and smiles at G. "Yes." Winnie says to Lifeflight, laying the bundle on the bed.

"O...kay..." Lifeflight mumbles, slipping back asleep.

Picking up Lifeflight's bundle, she sets it on the bedside stand, and then climbs into bed. Pulling the blankets up, Winnie turns her back to the light, and tries to fall asleep.

...

Late into the night, a small voice wakes her.

"W-Winnie?"

Winnie sits bolt upright. "Lifeflight?" She feels the unfamiliar space of the room and slides from the bed, her dried clothes crinkling a bit.

"I-I'm right-t here," he says softly. "A-Are you o-okay?"

Winnie looks to the table and remembers the storm, and coming back to the house.

"Yeah." She relaxes. "Are you okay?"

She rubs her eyes, trying to adjust to the lamp light.

"Y-Yes," he says, sitting up in the blanket nest. "A l-little hungry. Wh-When did you come in?"

"Uhh... I don't know, what time is it?" She sits back on the bed, elbows on her knees, and looks to him.

"I-It's two-thirty in th-the morning," he says, yawning. "I-I think I fell asleep a-at nine."

"I got back a little before 10:30." She sits back up and stretches."Do you need anything?"

"N-No," Lifeflight murmurs, but his rumbling tank betrays his true feelings.

"Here. I doubt G will mind if I get you some energon," she says, smiling. "Try and go back to sleep. I'll wake you up when I come back."

"I-I'll try to wait for y-you," Lifeflight says, watching Winnie step into the hall.

"It's fine." Winnie shuffles sleepily into the hall, closing the door behind her. She walks down the hall, leaning against the railing as she walks down the stairs. Almost at the landing, she stumbles and falls on her face. Where did the rail go?

...

Winnie pushes herself upright in the darkness of an evergreen forest. Where was she? Taking a few steps, she hears a wolf howl in the distance. Winnie is excited to hear the call, but hurries towards the nearest tree. The branches are a little higher, but she still manages to swing onto one. Leaning against the trunk she looks out on the dark scene.

A pack of direwolves run directly under the tree, yipping and calling loudly. Winnie squeaks inside her head and watches their flawless movement. She covers her mouth and giggles, almost falling out of the tree. After the wolves pass, Winnie leans back. She crosses her arms and shivers slightly.

"Where am I?" she wonders aloud.

...

Lifeflight, back in Winnie's room, slowly falls back asleep, unaware of what just happened.

...

Winnie looks through the branches. It's still dark, but the faint light of the sun is starting to peak over the mountain.

"Gil? Is this a joke?" she calls out to the trees.

The world is silent to Winnie's question, even the birds not providing an answer.

"Great." Winnie clammers down the tree and starts to walk north.

...

Lifeflight wakes up on the blanket, coming around to his unfamiliar location. Where...where was Winnie?

Sitting up, he judges how far it is to the floor.

...

Plodding slowly northward, Winnie hums an old folk theme. Coming to the edge of the forest Winnie finds herself halfway up the side of a mountain. The foggy, hilled woods below lay sprawled before her. She sits on the springy grass.

"This isn't so bad."

...

Leaping onto the bed, Lifeflight slides down the blankets to the floor. Good thing Winnie didn't shut the door to her bedroom! Jogging into the hall, Lifeflight turns for G and Bumblebee's room.

...

Winnie leans back on the grass. Golly, she was tired.

"Why am I here?" she asks, as a deep rumble rises up behind her.

...

Dang! The door's almost shut. Lifeflight pounds on it, tiny fists making little taps on the wood. Ever-so-slowly, the door moves open enough for him to slip inside.

...

Winnie sits up slowly. The growl rises as she turns to the dark wood. She stands up and the growl dissipates into the fog.

"Okay then," she whispers, and starts to jog down the ridge.

...

Lifeflight runs across the flat carpet, climbing up the old blanket draped over the side of the bed. Lifeflight creeps up to where G and Bumblebee sleep - his arms were wrapped around her shoulders, and the old blanket lying over the both of them.

Touching G's shoulder, Lifeflight shakes her, throwing his body into her shoulder in effort.

...

Winnie, tiring quickly, eases into a quick walk, down into the valley. In the last twenty feet, she trips and slides, her face landing in... goop.

"Ew," she grumbles, wiping the slime off.

She looks at her hands. The goop is algae, gleaming a funky purple in the dark. Standing up, she wipes her hands on her abused jeans, and looks up the mountain side.

...

G wakes, eyes opening to stare at Lifeflight, before she jerks, realizing who he was. Bumblebee wakes, his arms tightening, and he pulls G back, closer to his chest. It takes a moment for both of them to stop staring at Lifeflight and say something.

"Lifeflight," Bumblebee says, slowly. "What do you need?"

"Winnie's g-gone," Lifeflight says. "A-And I d-don't know where sh-she is."

"Did she get up in the night?" Bee asks, stretching.

"Y-Yes," Lifeflight says, "Why?"

"G, up and at 'em. Go down and check the trackers. I'll be ready to send out. Lifeflight, with me."

Bumblebee pulls himself out of bed, standing up to let his armor fly up to his frame. He scoops Lifeflight up, and walks swiftly down the hall, then down the stairs. G walks down after him, once she was dressed, and enters Winnie's signature into the tracking system. It whirs to life, and soon pinpoints Winnie, at the edge of the Kartal mountain range.

"She's at the edge of Kartal," G tells Bumblebee, who was hurriedly drinking some energon. "I'll open a warp gate for you."

Now on the warp pad, she taps her foot on it's surface, activating the HUD. It lights up, and she inputs the cooridnates.

"I'll see you for breakfast," she says to Bumblebee, as he steps through.

...

Turning back to the swamp, Winnie sighs. The sun was starting to come up. She starts to wade into the sticky murk, which makes up the entire floor at the base of the mountain. She gets to a point about thigh-deep, when she hears someone come through a warp gate. Startled, she spins too quickly, falling into the rotting algae.

...

Bumblebee steps out of the warp field, suddenly knee-deep in an algal pool. He sighs, staring at the purpleish glow of the bioluminescent plants, and he looks for Winnie, headlights flickering on to aide him in the search. Winnie stands shakily up and wipes the stuff from her eyes, making her look like a monster that didn't seem happy to be woken up.

"Thanks, Bee!" she calls.

A roar is heard in the distance, and Bumblebee's eyes widen. He lunges for Winnie, wrapping his arms securely around her and darting behind a tree, sitting down in the muck, a hand over her mouth.

A massive black and white creature stalks in, and it's breathing is audible in the still morning. The behemoth snuffles around where Bumblebee once stood, and it moves towards the tree that Winnie and Bumblebee are behind.

Winnie, confused at Bee's sudden reaction, mumbles behind his hand. Then she hears the breathing. Her eyes widen and she is still for a moment, heart thumping in the quiet. She twitches halfheartedly, then hears Lifeflight squeak. Surprised, Winnie spins around, easily slipping out of Bee's grip thanks to the muck. She stands and sees a terrified Lifeflight on Bee's right shoulder. Without hesitation Winnie shoots Bee a look and "runs" around the tree right in front of the thing.

She falters for a minute at the sheer size of it, let alone its appearance. Then steeling herself she picks up a fallen branch and hurls it at its... face? She casts a quick glance at the two bots.

"No," Bumblebee gasps, pulling Lifeflight from his shoulder.

He jumps from behind the tree, and within a few paces he is by Winnie, thrusting Lifeflight into Winnie's chest. He places himself in front of the huntress, carefully watching the creature. It jerks in place, and appears in front of Bumblebee, breathing right in his face.

"I have no fear," Bumblebee says softly, staring into its' "face".

The creature snuffs a little more, then turns, walking back through the trees, sloshing through the swamp. Winnie makes a odd noise as the thing walks away.

"Um...w-what just happened?" She clutches Lifeflight close. Bumblebee waits until the creature is out of sight, and he sighs, sinking down into the muck.

"That... is Hei Bai," he moans. "And you almost died."

"Well... th-that's good to know," she says, shivering a little.

"He is a guardian," Bumblebee explains, turning around to look up at Winnie, pulling his knees into his chest. "Come home an I'll tell you the story - I haven't told the mechlings the story yet, so you can sit in."

"Uh..ok." Winnie squeaks. "Bee what... where am I?"

"You are twenty-four miles south of the Kartal mountain range... why?"

"Well..Did I miss something? I was at your house. On the stairs. What happened?" She leans against a mossy tree.

"Oh...well, it's a flaw in the...well, the fabric. We are over a spot in the fabric of the world that is flawed, and sometimes...well, sometimes, at night, it opens, and if you're walking around in our home or nearby, you will be transported somewhere else on Tyrus. I forgot to tell you not to move about at night."

"Sorry." Winnie wipes a hand across her muddy forehead.

"No, that was my fault. At least you are still whole. Come on - I'm sure G has some food ready. Lifeflight, are you alright?"

"Yes," Lifeflight says quietly, nuzzled into Winnie's embrace. "I'm fine."

Winnie can feel her face grow warm under the muck and she sloshes over to the mech. "Are we going to warp back into your house? I don't want to make a mess of everything."

"We will be deposited in a washroom. G already has the warp programmed...it's coming through now."

"Thanks. Sorry I caused a problem for you guys," she says watching for the gate.

"You're not a problem," Bumblebee says, reaching out for Winnie's hand. "Here, I don't want you to slip once we're there."

"Uh... ok." Winnie shifts Lifeflight to her other arm.

Taking Bee's hand, she smiles down at the little bot. Lifeflight looks up at her with a smile, and they step through the warp gate, into the downstairs washroom.

...

"I've got food ready when you two are done," G calls in. "Winnie, Lifeflight can have the sink."

Winnie looks at him. "Aww, sorry, Lifeflight, I got ya all muddy."

"I don't mind," Lifeflight says softly.

Winnie looks down at her bare feet and takes big steps. Reaching the counter in as few steps as possible, she sets Lifeflight beside the sink.

"I'll run through first, and then leave you to it," Bumblebee says, stepping into the shower to turn the water on.

He pulls the curtain, and rinses his armor off first, then drops each piece into a tub just outside the curtain. "What were you doing up so late?" he asks Winnie.

"Um... what DID I get up for? Oh yeah, I got up to get a drink." Winnie says, sitting at the foot of the sink cabinet.

"Okay," Bumblebee says, washing down. "Are there any towels on the counter?"

Winnie reaches up and feels the soft towel. "Yeah. You need one?"

"I will in a moment, unless you will withstand me stepping out of the shower," Bumblebee says.

"Uh, no." Winnie says, lowering her hand.

Bumblebee laughs. "Alright, alright."

He shuts off the water, and extends a wet arm out of the curtain. "Towel, please." Winnie hauls herself up and hands the towel over.

"Thank you," Bumblebee says.

He towels down, and ties it around his waist, folding the curtain back. Picking up his tub of armor, he opens a "drawer" in the wall, behind the washroom door. Dumping the armor in, he shuts the drawer.

"When it dings, call," he says. "My armor's washing...I'll be in the kitchen. Shower's all yours."

"Okay." Winnie stands back up and turns. "Lifeflight?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Um... are you gonna go with Bee?" She says looking at the counter.

"I'm still muddy," Lifeflight says. You g-get in, and I'll use th-the sink here."

He stares at Winnie, before his rotors snap shut, and he blushes. "U-Um...I-I mean-n I w-w-won't watch-ch you undress-s I-I...I..."

Winnie blushes. "Um... er..." Winnie looks around and then hops in the shower, fully clothed and yanks around the curtain. "There."

"O-Okay," Lifeflight says.

He slides down into the sink, and pulls on the faucet handle, turning the hot water on. Peeling off his khakis, he lays them on the upper rim of the sink, and sets his tiny armor beside them. Listening to Winnie wash, he begins to...sing?

"Some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck," sings softly, and he hears Winnie in the shower pause.

Winnie freezes and grins. "Some nights I call it a draw," she says softly.

Lifeflight halts in his song. "Y...y-you know that song?"

"Yeah. I'm surprised you know it. I thought you liked classical stuff," she says.

"I-I found another v-version," he responds. "I-I do like classical...but my taste is varied."

"Huh..." she trails off. "I..I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...to..."

"Naw," he says. "I-I like your v-voice."

A chill runs up her back."Yours is b-better."

"S-Some nights I wish that my lips could build a castle," Lifeflight begins again.

"Some nights I wish they'd just fall off." Winnie whispers to the melody.

"But I still wake up, I still see your ghost."

"Oh, Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for."

"What do you stand for?" Lifeflight sighs. "Winnie...what do you stand for?"

Winnie is silent for a minute."I-I don't..I don't know."

"I-I stand-d for healthy sparklings and-d f-freedom," Lifeflight says quietly. "Y-You stand for something."

Winnie shuts off the water and steam fills the room. "I don't know," she says quietly.

"Th-Think about that today," Lifeflight says softly. "W-We all fought for s-something-g."

"Okay." Winnie slips back into her damp clothes. "Ar-are you done?"

"Y-Yes," Lifeflight says. "I'd hand y-you a t-towel, but-t I can't reach it."

"It's alright," she says, tugging the shirt into place.

She steps out, snagging the towel, and dries her hair. Lifeflight turns in the sink, sitting down underneath the faucet, letting the water cascade over his shoulders. "If you're e-ever s-s-six inches tall, you sh-should sit under a sink-k faucet."

Winnie laughs and pushes the hair from her face. "I'll have to remember that."

Lifeflight waits until Winnie is dry, and then touches his com. "G-G? W-Winnie could use some dry th-things to wear."

"Okay, Lifeflight."

"It's alright. I'll probably just find another way to get them all muddy," she says as the armor washer dings.

"Y-You need something t-to stay dry in," Lifeflight says. "I-It doesn't matter if th-they get dirty...that's wh-what washing's for."

Winnie sticks her tongue out and opens the door. "Bee! Your armor's done!"

"Coming," he calls.

Walking in, he looks Winnie straight in the eye, opens the armor drawer, and throws his towel over the door. Still maintaining eye contact, he calls to his armor, the pieces flying out of the washer and onto him. He sticks his tongue out and laughs, walking back out.

Winnie stands stock still, hand still on the door. "Why?"

"Because I like to mess with you," Bumblebee replies, laughing. "Your face was priceless."

"You...YOU...gah!" She throws her hands in the air.

"G is bringing you down some clothes." Bumblebee's laughter echoes through the lower level, as he walks into the living room.

"It's really okay, Bee. What I have is good."

"Too late," G says, walking into the washroom. "Here, I'll wash these. Lifeflight, there's some mud on your back."

"O-Okay," Lifeflight says, stretching to reach it.

G sets the clothes down on the lip of the bathtub, and steps out.

"C-Could you help me reach?" Lifeflight asks, groaning. "I-I still can't."

"But... ugh. Thanks, G." She walks back in and shuts the door. "Sure, Lifeflight. One sec."

Winnie snags the clothes and gets in the tub, pulling the curtain around. She pulls on the warm clothes and steps back out, grabbing a washcloth. "Turn around, please," she says, running it through the sink.

"Okay," Lifeflight says, turning and standing up.

Winnie gently holds the airblade steady and wipes the mud away. "There ya go."

"Is th-that all of it?" he asks, "I c-can't see."

"Hmm..I think so.. Wait! Is that some?" Winnie pokes his ribs, trying to find a ticklish spot.

Lifeflight giggles, very un-mech like, and squirms under Winnie's fingers. "St-Stop! Th-Th-THAT TICKLES!"

"No. You still have mud. Right there! And there," she says, laughing.

"St-Stop!" he cries helplessly, still laughing. "St-Stop-p!"

Winnie continues for a minute longer, then stops and puts her hand against his back, smiling. Lifeflight is out of breath, still giggling, and he calls to his armor, which snaps onto his body, as Winnie picks him up.

"Th-That," he gasps, "w-was unfair."

He smiles wide and then lies back on Winnie's hands, chest heaving. Winnie smiles back at him. "Be that as it may..it was fun."

She picks up her clothes and walks out of the bathroom. Lifeflight rides out with Winnie, and sits up when G comes up and takes the clothes out of Winnie's hand.

"Give me these," she says. "Breakfast's on the counter. Lifeflight, you have a shot glass."

"Gil, it's alright. Seriously. And it's breakfast?"

"Um... unless it's really, _really_ late dinner. I prefer to think of it as breakfast. Since we're all up so early, we'll take a nap later today, and go to bed earlier. I'll have Sunray come by and he'll watch the boys."

"A nap? Wow. "

"We're not like the normal, Winnie," G says with a laugh and a wink. "I'm tired anyways... the healing takes a lot of strength. Bumblebee might not sleep, though."

"I can pretty much guarantee I won't." Winnie smiles. "Thank you for breakfast."

"No problem," G says.

Winnie walks into the kitchen and sets Lifeflight on the counter before sitting down herself. Winnie picks up her fork and digs into the warm eggs and toast. Lifeflight slowly picks up the shot glass and sips from the top.

"Wh-Where are you going today?" he asks, looking up at Winnie with an energon mustache.

"Well...I need to go home and get the trees out of my house, then go around and check on the village. King is probably beside himself with the smell of Mecha," she says, between bites. Then she smiles. "You have somethin' on your face."

Lifeflight's eyes widen, and he blushes, quickly wiping the mustache off. "O-Okay... just c-come back early-y enough so we can s-sit on the g-grass or something...y-you know..."

Winnie smiles. "I'll try."

"Okay," Lifeflight says, smiling. He takes another drink, and sighs. "I c-can tell you...it d-doesn't take much to fill me u-up," he purrs, airblades flicking on his lower back. "Wanna see-e something c-cool?" he asks, looking up at Winnie.


	7. Chapter 7

"Sure!" she says, taking another bite of egg.

He sets down the shot glass, and steps back. His brow furrows, and he begins to transform... into a tiny helicopter, devoid of outer metal sheet plating.

"Neat, huh?"

"My gosh, yeah!" Winnie puts down her fork and looks up at the copter with bright eyes.

"F-Fully functional," Lifeflight says, starting his engine up.

His blades begin to spin, and he lifts off the counter, hovering over Winnie's plate.

"Wow." Winnie laughs as her napkin tries to fly away.

Lifeflight backs up from her plate, over to empty counter, and transforms, landing back on the counter.

"That's awesome!" She smiles as Lifeflight walks forward.

He smiles, and sits down beside her plate, waiting for her to finish. Winnie chews her eggs and looks at Lifeflight. Looking quickly down she blushes. Lifeflight just smiles, pulling his knees up.

"I e-enjoy your-r company," he murmurs.

"I enjoy yours." Winnie takes a drink of her milk.

"I... I... yeah," he says quietly.

He sits in silence for a few minutes, before saying, "Bumblebee's asleep."

"Really? Good," she says, finishing her eggs.

Lifeflight watches Winnie pick up her dishes, and set them in the sink.

"Hmm... Lifeflight, can you com G?" she asks, brushing her hands off.

"Why?" Lifeflight asks. "I m-mean, I will, but for what reason?"

"I need to get back home, and I need a bridge," she says walking back over.

"It's w-way too early," Lifeflight says. "Y-You should take B-Bumblebee with you to remove the trees."

"It's not too early to get something done. Plus Bee needs some down time."

Lifeflight sighs. "Lifeflight to G." There is a pause, and he asks again. "Lifeflight to G."

When she doesn't pick up, Lifeflight turns to Winnie. "She's not picking up. Y-You should wait for Bumblebee."

"Thanks for trying. And I'll be fine. I've manned bridges before, I can probably work it."

"Y-You should clear it w-with G," Lifeflight says. "She's k-keeping tabs o-on us."

"Okay... let's see if we can find her." She holds her hand out for him.

Lifeflight climbs up onto her hand, and holds onto her thumb as Winnie walks. Going upstairs, she sees a light on in a room, the door open. Looking in, she sees a laundry setup, and G is sitting on the floor, holding some laundry in her lap.

"Gil?" she asks walking in. Kneeling, she touches G's shoulder. Slowly, she wakes up.

"W... Winnie?"

"Gil. You fell asleep. Here, come on." Winnie sets Lifeflight on her shoulder and helps G up.

"Bumblebee's asleep," G says. "He's really tired... totally knocked me out."

"Well, you should go to sleep too. I'll watch things around here."

Winnie walks her friend into her bedroom, where Bee is crashed on top of the sheets.

"Th-Thanks..." G says softly. "A-Are you headed out to the compound?"

"I was, but... you get some rest. I'll wait for the kids to get up," Winnie whispers back.

"Sunray's coming... he'll be here within the hour. It should be okay."

"Okay. Do you mind if I use the bridge after he gets here?"

"He'll come... you don't need to stay... you can always use the gate, it's always set for medbay."

"Thank you. I'll see you later," Winnie says backing out of the room.

"Yup... don't forget to come back tonight."

"I won't," she says, closing the door.

Winnie quietly walks into the laundry room. She sets Lifeflight on one of the tables and throws in the pile of clothes G was cleaning. A pile of clean, yet to be folded clothes lay in the corner. Winnie looks at them, then hears the warp pad firing up.

Turning, she picks Lifeflight back up and creeps quickly down the stairs. "Hello?"

"Mama?" a voice asks.

"Um..." Winnie turns around the corner where a bot stands. "Sorry... um. You must be Sunray. G is asleep upstairs."

"Are... are you Winnie?" the tall, mustard yellow mech asks, his doorwings flicking a little.

His blue eyes are bright and curious, and he looks down at Winnie, a smile tickling his lips.

"Yeah... you must be... Sunray, right?" Winnie asks.

"That's me!" Sunray says brightly, smiling happily. "Are you leaving? Mama said that your compound was destroyed."

"No, not quite. I haven't seen how bad it is yet," she says smiling back. "Oh, I almost forgot. This is Lifeflight," Winnie says, gesturing to the bot on her shoulder.

"Oh yes. Mama also told me... she told me... right. She told me to hide Lifeflight when you go through Base. He might be something that someone could take."

"She did? I thought Lifeflight would be safer here," Winnie says nervously.

"If you were taking him. If you aren't taking him, then... I don't know. He can stay here with me."

"Lifeflight?" Winnie says looking over at him.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to stay here?"

"Wh-What do you want me to do? I-I want-t to go with y-you, but-t whatever you decide."

Winnie bites her lip."I'd feel better if you stayed here, where it is definitely safe... but I guess you can come."

"Okay!" Lifeflight chirps, nuzzling into Winnie's neck.

Winnie's ears redden. Turning to Sunray, she asks, "Would you mind turning on the warp pad? It's been forever since I messed with one."

"It's all ready for you," Sunray says. "Hop on and you'll go."

"Thanks. Nice to meet you." Winnie waves to the mech and hops through the field.

"I'll see you later," Sunray calls.

...

Appearing in medbay, Winnie steps down from the warp pad.

Winnie quickly picks up Lifeflight and slides him in her pocket. "Sorry 'bout this," she says pulling the edge of her shirt over the pocket.

"Warm," he purrs.

"You should've stayed if you were cold," Winnie whispers to Lifeflight as she walks into the mob of Mecha passing through the hall outside the medbay.

"I'll be okay-y," Lifeflight says.

"Hey, she-human!"

Winnie jumps and looks around for the voice. She turns to see a mech, a stranger, standing in the hall. "Who are you talking to?"

Winnie smiles at the bot. "Myself. Is that a problem?"

"No," the mech says, "but it is a strange habit."

"Well I'm strange, even for humans," she says. "Pardon, but I don't think I've met you."

"No," the mech says, eyeing her. "We haven't."

"Well, pleased to meet you. I'm Winnie," she says still smiling and holding out her hand.

"Redbeam," the mech says with a smug smile. "What are you doing later?"

As Redbeam asks his question, Lifeflight pinches Winnie through her shirt. Winnie winces.

"Hi then, Redbeam. Um... I don't really know. I have a lot on my plate, I guess."

"Are you okay? You flinched. Is there something in your clothing?"

Redbeam steps closer, and a tiny growl emanates from Winnie's pocket.

"Uhh... special breed of rodent. I'm a vet and I come across a lot of new animals."

"Is that so?" Redbeam asks, "May I see it?"

"Sorry, but the breed spends its' life underground. Brining it out could cause serious damage... I'm also taking it to test for the rhabdovirus."

"I cannot catch this virus, as you say," Redbeam says, intrigued.

"Cybertronians can be carriers, though. And like I said, the light could cause serious physical and mental damage."

"I _want_ to see," Redbeam says, reaching out for Winnie's arm.

Winnie's eyes widen. "Excuse me! I'm sorry, but..." She takes a step backwards.

"Hey!" a loud voice bellows. "Are you touchin' on Winnie?"

"Max?" Winnie spins around to see the tall mech. "E-everything is fine, Max. I jus- hey! Get off!"

She turns as Redbeam reaches out again. Redbeam looks up to see Fort Max coming closer, footsteps heavy on the floor.

"Get. Back."

Max pulls his fist back, and delivers a hard blow to Redbeam, pushing him back into the wall. Once the first punch is thrown, the brawl is on, and more Mecha join in the melee.

Winnie squeaks and tries not to get stepped on by the many mecha feet. Eyes wide and heart pounding she tries to reach the outside, but is flung aside by a stray blow. She twists in the air so as not to land on her pocket. Lifeflight skitters out into view as she lands. Winnie picks herself up, looking for Lifeflight.

"C'mon, Winnifred," a mech says, scooping her up. "Get ou' of the way."

"No... no-no-no. Lifeflight! No, where is he? Lifeflight!" She frantically tries to break from the grip.

"Wha' do ya mean, Chica? I don' know where Lifeflight is... he moved ou' wit' you, didn't he?"

"No. I mean yes. But he got small, and... and... LIFEFLIGHT!" Winnie scrabbles around on the floor.

"Ya get BACK!" Jazz roars, smashing a mech with an elbow, who was close to injuring Winnie. "C'mon!"

He scoops her up, and quickly moves out of the mainbay, out into the grass.

"Jazz to security. Report to mainbay immediately!"

A security team fills the mainbay, and soon the fight is under control... but Lifeflight is nowhere to be seen.

"Oh no. No, no, no. Jazz!" Winnie's hand flies to her mouth and she looks up at the bot.

She looks back into the hall and races in. Max and Redbeam are being hauled off the floor in stasis cuffs. Redbeam is bleeding from a split lip, and bloody nose, while Max wears a hard expression.

"You don't touch what's not yours," he growls, as they are led away.

Winnie spins around in the center of the room, looking for any sign of Lifeflight. She looks over at the two bots and sits down. In the middle of the floor she sits, and pulls her knees up to her chest.

...

Lifeflight squirms against the hands holding him tightly, and he whimpers. Winnie! Where's Winnie? A hand leaves his body, and he hears a door open. He is quickly lowered, and tossed onto the floor.

...

Mind buzzing, Winnie tries to remember where Lifeflight fell. But there were too many people.

"It's all my fault," she says aloud.

Standing shakily up she pushes down all the emotions bubbling back up. Would someone grab him?

...

Lifeflight yelps as he lands on the floor, skidding a little before he picks himself up and runs under the berth.

...

Winnie looks up and down the hall. Why did it have to be so big? She turns back to the medbay end of the quiet hall and jogs towards the the offices.

Ratchet peeks out of medbay and watches Winnie run. "Did you lose something, Winnifred?"

"Yeah," she mutters. "Who do I go to, to track a missing com?"

"Blaster. Why? Lose your comlink?"

"Not mine. Where is his office?"

"Sorry, Winnifred, no office. You're facing medbay, so go left, down that hallway, until you reach a huge ladder. That will take you up to communications."

...

Lifeflight hears footsteps come inside, and he whimpers. Winnie... where's Winnie? Where is anyone he knows that isn't _big?_ He dodges a hand that reaches under the berth, pressing himself back against a dark, dirty corner.

...

Without another word Winnie sprints down the hall as Ratchet instructed. She runs until the hallway runs out, and she sees a metal ladder at the end. The rungs were designed for Mecha, not humans, and it takes a while. Climbing quickly she reaches communications within a few minutes.

When she reaches the top, she scans the surrounding room. It is in a massive dome, glass paneling showing the morning beautifully. A boxy, orange mech sits in a reclined chair in the middle, looking up into the sky.

"Blaster?" Winnie stands up breathing hard.

"Yeah!" Blaster says, sitting up in the chair and spinning around. "What can I- oh, hello, she-human."

"I need to track a comlink. Could you do that for me?"

"Depends, babe. Who and why?"

Winnie bristles. "Lifeflight, medic, and I need to find him."

"You check the medbay first, sugar?"

"He's not in there. Can you please just check?" Winnie asks, gritting her teeth.

"Easy, easy, lamb. Blaster requesting comlink override."

"Override engaged," replies a computerized voice.

"Search com code for Lifeflight, medic."

"Searching. Code found. Code is three-seven-eight-alpha-two."

"Scan for code number three-seven-eight-alpha-two."

"Scanning."

Winnie listens anxiously for the confirmation. "Thank you," she says quietly.

"Code not found within parameters."

"Scrap. Widen parameters to quadrant Delta-seven-five and surrounding sub districts."

"Scanning."

Winnie swallows as the first report is finished.

"Code not found. Search again?"

Blaster looks over at Winnie, gesturing to the system. "Again? Do you have an approximate location, Chick?"

Winnie's eyes dart around to the horizon outside. "He has to be close. He has to be. Try Metroplex."

"Aye," Blaster says. "Enlarge scanning range to include quadrant Alpha-two-eight-six and surrounding sub districts."

"Scanning. Code not found."

Winnie's stomach churns."Th-Thank you," she says, turning to the ladder.


	8. Chapter 8

"Blaster requesting second command authorization for Anilex-wide search."

"Granted."

"Search for code number three-seven-eight-alpha-two."

"Scanning. Code not found."

Winnie stops. "Try Alaba."

"Blaster requesting again for second command authorization for Alaba-wide search."

"Granted..."

"Search for code number three-seven-eight-alpha-two."

"Scanning. Code not found."

"Tyrus."

"Blaster requesting for the third time for second command authorization for Tyrus-wide search."

"Granted... Blaster, what are you searching for?"

"Missing mech com. Search for code number three-seven-eight-alpha-two."

"Scanning. Code not found."

"Deimari."

"Babe, if I haven't found him now, well..."

"Do it," she says, her voice low.

Blaster sighs. "Blaster requesting for second command authorization for Deimari-wide search."

"Granted."

"Search for code number three-seven-eight-alpha-two."

"Scanning. Code not found."

"Zirve."

"Blaster requesting for second command authorization for Zirve-wide search."

"Granted."

"Search for code number three-seven-eight-alpha-two."

"Scanning. Code not found."

"Are you satisfied?" Blaster says, looking to Winnie. "Lifeflight is nowhere to be found."

"Akos, please. Last one."

"Blaster requesting for second command authorization for Akos-wide search."

"Granted."

"Search for code number three-seven-eight-alpha-two."

"Scanning."

"...code not found."

Winnie's knees feel weak."Thank you Blaster..."

"Anytime, babe," Blaster says. "Uh... Blaster to... um... I don't know. Anyone wanna come escort a sick human down my ladder?"

"On my way," familiar voice says. "What's this human look like?"

"Blonde. Female."

"Coming now. Hold tight, Winnie."

A warp field opens at the base of the ladder, and Bumblebee looks up, seeing Winnie on the edge. "What's wrong, Winnie?"

"Lifeflight." Winnie chokes out, her face pale.

"Aww, come on down, and come back home," Bumblebee rumbles, holding it his hand, extended up the ladder. "I'll walk you back..."

Winnie bites her lip and wobbles down the ladder. Bumblebee reaches out his hand, snagging it as she stumbles down the last few steps.

"Thanks, Blaster."

"Anytime, mech."

"Are you alright?" Bumblebee asks, looking down at Winnie.

"I-I'm fine... Lifeflight's not."

"Don't be upset," Bumblebee says softly, "C'mon back and you can tell us there."

"O-Okay. But... Bee, what's the punishment for starting a brawl?" she asks, leaning against the wall.

"Humans don't receive punishment," Bee says, "but Mecha... well, _I_ spend a night or two in a hanging cell down in the lower levels, but most Mecha probably have some odd days of sitting in a brig cell, maybe having an evaluation. Why do you ask?"

"I got Max and Redbeam in trouble."

Bumblebee suppresses a smile. "What did you do? I'm curious to see how Redbeam will hold... hold up in brig."

"I didn't hide Lifeflight well enough a-and then made Redbeam mad," Winnie says, looking at the cold floor.

Bumblebee's eyes ice. "Where's Lifeflight?"

"I-I don't know, B-Bee. I-it's all m-my fault." She swipes a hand across her eyes.

"No-no-no, don't cry, please?" Bumblebee says, voice even softer. "Come home and I'll see what I can do."

The warp gate opens beside them, and Winnie nods and steps through into their home. Bumblebee follows close after, and when they arrive, all is quiet.

...

"Hey, Dub... whoa, what's wrong?" G walks out of the kitchen, holding a mixing bowl. "Cookie dough fix?"

Winnie wipes at he corner of her eye again and smiles. "I-I wish it could, Gil. Thanks, though."

"Lifeflight is missing," Bumblebee says, "and he disappeared during the mainbay brawl, earlier today... Blaster tried to track his comline, but couldn't find heads nor tails of him."

"Are you going to take this to Prowl?" G asks, looking from Bee to Winnie.

Winnie looks at the floor. "I don't know what he could do. He's got enough on his plate anyway."

"Those are all petty issues compared to what could happen if one mech goes missing and ends up dead or else. Bumblebee to Prowl."

"Yes?"

"I am filing a missing Mecha report."

"Who is your Mecha?"

"Lifeflight, medic."

While Bee describes the situation, Winnie turns to G. "Can I go see King?"

"Yup... outside, and make a hard left. Use the porch."

"Thank you." Winnie turns and walks outside.

Turning left around the house, she finds the kennels. She sees King's, and opens the door. The dog still has his muzzle on and he whines.

"Hi, Kingly, I'm sorry." She sinks down next to him and removes the muzzle. Wrapping her arms around the dog, she speaks quietly. "I'm sorry."

Winnie leans back and tears leak from her eyes.

"Shut up," she mutters to herself, wiping them roughly away.

King whines again and curls up next to her. "Where are you, Lifeflight?" she asks, stroking the dog's back.

"Are you interested in Hei Bai?" Bumblebee asks, sitting on the edge of the porch. "I know that I can be... a little overbearing, sometimes."

Winnie jumps as Bee speaks. "Y-yeah, I guess... I had completely forgotten about that."

"A lot has been going on," he says, leaning back to carefully lay on the floor, his panels spread out under his back. "Hei Bai walks because he is lonely."

He hears Winnie sniffle, and he sighs. "If you're going to cry, go ahead. It is sort of a sad story," Bumblebee sighs. "Hei Bai had another, another of his kind. Tai Bei. It isn't known if they were lovers, or simply friends, but they spent much time with each other."

"I'm not going to cry, Bee," she says quietly, and listens to the story. "W-What happened to him?"

"The way they went, Hei Bai walked from north to south, and Tai Bei walked from south to north, every day. On the sixth day of their walking, Hei Bai and Tai Bei would meet in the middle, and spend two days with each other before resuming their walk. Never were they lonely - the footsteps of each being echoed across the world, making a constant rhythm."

Winnie pulls her knees up as she listens. "Do they still?"

"No. Hei Bai and Tai Bei walked the planet before it sustained much more than plant life... as the terrain continued to evolve, Hei Bai and Tai Bei had to walk farther and farther each day.

Earthquakes were common then, and one day, as Tai Bei was walking up to meet Hei Bai, he fell into a crevice. Nothing else is known about where it led to, but after Tai Bei disappeared, Hei Bai stopped walking up and back, and now spends the time searching."

"He's still searching?" she asks quietly.

"When we were in the swamp earlier, Hei Bai found us. Must've been hoping we were Tai Bei, splashing around in such a remote place. When it was discovered we weren't Tai Bei, he was angry, and your stick-throwing didn't help. The one way to get out of a fight with Hei Bai is to tell one truth about yourself - I do not fear Hei Bai, so that is what I told him."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that... I thought he was going to-"

"No. Hei Bai is just lonely, and that's why he came to us. Anything that could be Tai Bei, even remotely, he goes to. There is also a way to call Hei Bai, but I won't tell you that."

"Probably for the best... I'd just end up doing something stupid."

"No. Hei Bai is not meant to be called. His purpose now is to search. We just happened to be investigated."

Winnie says nothing and shifts in her seat.

The sliding glass door opens, and Raybeam steps out, walking across the porch to ease down the stairs. His hand tight to the bracers, he takes each stair step one at a time, but on the lowest one, he trips, and lands on the concrete.

He whimpers and sits back, knees and hands scraped. "Ow..."

Bumblebee sits up, pulling his legs in from where they hang over the side of the porch. "It's alright," he says comfortingly, taking a few quick steps over to pick up Raybeam. "You're okay."

Winnie's head snaps up when Raybeam falls. She stands up, but Bumblebee is already there. At the movement of the mechs, King begins to growl. Winnie slips the muzzle back on, and steps out of the kennel, closing the door behind her.

Bumblebee sits Raybeam on the porch railing, looking over his knees and hands. Bumblebee pulls one up to touch his cheek, and Raybeam whines.

"Ow..."

"Calling medic two," Bumblebee says, stepping back to salute Raybeam. "We have a casualty."

"What appears to be the problem, doctor?" G asks, walking outside, one hand covered in cookie dough. "Oh dear, scraped knees. Here, patient, you need some dough."

Brushing her clean hand over Raybeam's knees and his hands, G now presents her cookie-covered hand. Raybeam sucks on one of her fingers, tears beginning to dry. Winnie smiles at the scene, and turns, walking, unnoticed, over the lawn.

Setting Raybeam down, Bumblebee watches the sparkling flick his doorwings happily at the two, then go out into the yard, giggling brightly.

"Wee'!" he cries, skipping up to Winnie.

Winnie turns, smiling and squats down on her knees. "Hey, you!" she says brightly.

Raybeam squeals and his panels flutter, bouncing forward to give her a hug. "Kitty!"

At Raybeam's call, Creamsicle walks out of the house, leaping down the stairs and making the short distance to Winnie.

"Kitty," Raybeam says, lightly petting Creamsicle's head.

Winnie smiles, hugging him. Dropping on all fours, she walks around like Creamy. "Meeeow"

"No-no," Raybeam says, a grave look on his face. "Kitty, no Wee'."

Winnie sits back on her heels. She cocks her head and thinks. Then she sticks her tongue out, panting. "Woof woof!"

"Eh..." Raybeam says, watching Winnie. "Dog..."

"He likes you as "Wee' " better," Shield says, now standing a few feet back. "He doesn't like King."

"Mmm..." Winnie sits on the grass. "Well what sound does a Wee' make?" she asks, petting the cat.

"She doesn't go 'moo', that's a cow. She doesn't go 'glub', that's a fish. She doesn't giggle, 'cause that's a Raybeam." She swoops the bot up and tickles his ribs.

Raybeam squeals and laughs, wriggling in Winnie's arms. "Ahhh!" he cries, "Wee'!"

"Hmm... I don't think Winnies make that sound. Let's try again." She smiles and lays him on the soft grass, careful of his doorwings. She leaves him there and goes for his little feet.

Raybeam screams in delight, rolling in the soft grass as Winnie attacks his feet. "AHHH, WEE'!"

"No... I don't think they make that sound either."

Winnie pulls him up and blows raspberries on his tummy, tickling the back of his knees and feet. Raybeam pants under her hands, running out of air and laughter.

"Wee'!" he gasps, worn out. "Wee'!"

Winnie slowly stops tickling the toddler. She scoops him up and slings him on her back. Hopping around the lawn for a minute she asks him, "Train or horsey ride?"

"HORSEY!" Raybeam cries.

Winnie whinnies and clippity-clops in a spastic circle. Then she jogs back to the house, making a bumpy ride for Raybeam. He clings to Winnie's back, laughing and hanging on tightly.

"Daddy!" Raybeam cries, as Bumblebee descends the stairs. "Wee' do HORSEY!"

Winnie trots up beside Bee. Nickering, she slides Raybeam off her back.

"Daddy! Daddy! Ride!"

"Do you want to come with me, Winnie?" Bumblebee asks. "Prowl has sent out a team to look for Lifeflight... and I had told Raybeam I would take him for a _recreational _ride. You wanna join?"

Winnie's eyes widen. "Yes... yes please."

"Alright. Borrow one of my saddles; yours is still damp."

Bumblebee picks up Raybeam, setting him on his shoulders. Walking over to the stable, he opens the door and waves to Winnie. She picks up Creamsicle and sets her on the deck before jogging over to the stables. Walking in, she sees Brawny dancing nervously in one of the stalls.

"Easy, easy," Bumblebee says, setting Raybeam down on the floor.

Winnie walks to the stall, clicking her tongue and murmuring softly. "He can't turn around," she says, peering into the stall.

"Well, bring him out. We'll saddle up and head out."

Taking a handful of his mane, she slips the bridle over his head. Leading him out she ties the reins to a ring in the wall. Bumblebee walks into a separate room, and brings back a silver saddle.

"This should fit," he says, gently setting it upon Brawny's back.

Winnie quickly tightens the girth and secures the unfamiliar strapping. Swinging up onto the saddle, she shifts, growing accustomed to it.

"Stirrups too low," Bumblebee says, observing her.

"As always," she says, sliding off and adjusting them.

"Who do you want today, Raybeam?" Bumblebee asks. "Wrath, or Pride, or someone else?"

"Wra'!" Raybeam says, looking up at Bumblebee.

"Okay. Go stand by Winnie, and I'll bring him out." Bee looks up at the huntress, making sure she heard him.

Raybeam takes her hand, and Bumblebee opens another stall, taking a bridle in with him.

"Hold..." Bumblebee says, sliding the bridle on. "There."

Opening the door fully, he leads out a mammoth Pa'li, with scarring across its' shoulders.

Leading Brawny outside she looks back. "Cripes... that's... that's a big horse."

"Wrath started it all," Bee explains. "I caught him... and broke him."

Pulling out his own saddle, Bumblebee throws it onto Wrath's back, cinching it up tightly. Brawny eyes the other Pa'li and shuffles nervously. Winnie puts a hand on his neck to steady him.

"Easy, Brawny," Bee says, swinging up into the saddle.

He guides Wrath out of the barn, and holds out his arms for Raybeam. Winnie puts her hands under the toddler's arms and hands him up to Bee. Once he has him, Winnie swings herself onto Brawny's back.

"You ready?" Bumblebee asks, looking to Winnie.

"Yup." Winnie shifts in her saddle.

"Alright. Let's go, then."

Leading Winnie through a trail in the side of the wall of trees, Bumblebee keeps an arm securely around Raybeam. Ten minutes in the trail Winnie speaks. "Bee, would it be okay if I went ahead? I need to run Brawny."

"Go for it. We'll catch up."

"Thank you," she says before kicking Brawny into an gallop. The two fly past Wrath and away from the trail.

Bumblebee watches Winnie sail past Wrath, and Raybeam squeals. "Fast, Daddy, fast!"

...

Winnie closes her eyes and lets Brawny run freely. Leaning on his neck she waits until he stops. Winnie opens her eyes and sits up. She's on the edge of a steep drop. Bumblebee urges Wrath into a faster pace, and Raybeam laughs and looks around. Following the trail, Bumblebee eventually finds Winnie sitting atop a steep cliff.

"Bumblebee?" Winnie says as he rides up.

"W-Would someone _take_ Lifeflight?" She picks up a small rock and rolls it in her hand.

"They could, I suppose."

Winnie leans back and chucks the rock off the edge.

"I don't know why they would want to take Lifeflight unless they wanted two harm him."

"Why would anyone... coms can still be tracked, even if the bot isn't... operational, right?"

Winnie picks up another rock and chucks it farther.

...

"Come back here," the mech snarls, reaching under the berth for Lifeflight. "Come here you little abomination."

Lifeflight cries and presses back against the wall, dodging the hand as it reaches for him. He shivers, and whimpers.

"W-Winnie!" he calls.

...

Winnie picks up a pebble, smaller than the rest, and draws her arm back. Then she freezes. "Bumblebee? Does the warp pad in medbay... does it keep a record of where it sends people?"

"Yep... the date, time, and life signature that went through. Why?"

She turns, the pebble still in her hand. "I need to get back to base," she says swinging onto Brawny.

"Sure," Bumblebee says. "You ready, Raybeam?"

"Ya!"

"Alright, let's go."


	9. Chapter 9

"Take me back," she says to Brawny, before kicking him back into a run.

Within ten minutes she reaches the trail. Bumblebee follows close after, and as they ride up to the house, Raybeam sighs when he is set on the ground.

"No more ride?" he asks.

"Sorry, Ray," Bee says, lowering the sparkling onto the ground.

Winnie stops Brawny and swings off. Running up the steps to the deck she wrenches open the door, eyes on the warp pad.

"What's up?" G asks.

"I need to get to base. Is it still set for medbay?"

"Always. Should someone be accompanying you?"

"Bee will come in a moment. He said he would catch up," Winnie says, leaping through the warp field.

...

She steps down into medbay to see First Aid with... Redbeam. The red mech is cuffed to the berth while First Aid tends to his injuries.

Walking slowly over, she pipes up, "R-Redbeam? Um... I'm really... I'm really sorry for what happened earlier. It was my fault."

Redbeam groans, and pushes First Aid back, sitting up. His lip is swollen, and his nose has a strip across it.

"You weren't hiding a rodent in your pocket," he says with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

Suddenly a little wary, she steps back. "I... I... does it matter? I'm sorry that I caused the fight."

"I'm not," he rumbles, "I now know what was in your pocket. And knowledge, is power."

Redbeam was looking up at Winnie, that is, until the warp pad fires up again, and he lies back down as Bumblebee walks in.

Winnie drops all pretenses of being oblivious. "What did you do to him?"

"Your mech is not in _my_ possession," Redbeam growls, as Bumblebee steps up behind Winnie. "_Hornet_."

"Redbeam," Bee regards him evenly. "Do you require another brawl to get it into your thick helm to stay away from Winnie?"

Winnie shoots Bee a look."I walked up to him, Bee." Turning back to the injured bot she tries again. "Where is he?"

"Hey now," First Aid says. "He's still in recovery-"

"Darn," Bumblebee says, gently moving Winnie to the side, and his hand snaps around Redbeam's neck, lifting him off the berth. "Where is Lifeflight?"

"I... won't... tell..." Redbeam hisses.

"Bee, put him down!" Winnie squeaks. "I need your help. Please, put him down!"

"I want the answer," Bumblebee growls, pulling Redbeam off the berth and casting him onto the floor. "You know where he is located, do you not?"

"I do," Redbeam spits, wiping the fresh energon off his face from his re-split lip.

"Are you going to tell us?"

"Why should I?" Redbeam growls, picking himself up off the floor.

"Because I'm not going to hurt you to get it, but I can't say much for people like Bee and Max. And, since you admitted you have information about a missing mech, I could have people like Jazz and Prowl on your tail too," Winnie says. "I don't know what Bumblebee will do, but I won't hurt you."

"I don't operate within normal parameters," Redbeam says, the gleam reappearing in his eyes. "And Depthcharge will not turn me over to Prowl willingly."

"In case you haven't noticed, he isn't here and we could have you in front of Prowl before he gets anywhere near enough." Winnie says, her tone still even and quiet.

"I'm not obligated to speak," Redbeam answers, and Bumblebee growls.

"I hate banter," he snarls... and goes for Redbeam.

"You. Make. Me. Angry," he hisses, decking Redbeam.

The already beaten mech drops to the floor, taking each punch that lands on him. The medbay door opens, and a red mech steps inside, holding a rifle. Aiming point-blank at Bumblebee, he fires four times, and four little feathered darts appear in Bumblebee's shoulder.

Bee freezes, then slides off Redbeam, the assault stopping completely, and he crashes on the floor, asleep.

"Thank you, Perceptor," First Aid sighs.

Winnie looks over to where Redbeam lies. She extends a hand to help him up. "I'm sorry."

"I don't want your apologies," Redbeam groans, coughing up a wad of energon, which he spits in Bumblebee's direction. "What do you want from me?"

"I want to help you up. I want the location of Lifeflight," she says, holding her hand out still.

"Your mech is within Base," Redbeam sighs.

Rolling forward, he stands up, a little wobbily.

"Where within base?" she asks.

"If I told you that, what fun would be had watching you race back and forth to find Lifeflight before the week's end?" Redbeam laughs, sitting on the edge of the berth.

Winnie's face turns white."W-What do you... what happens at the end of the week?"

"I don't know," Redbeam says, "but Depthcharge reported that's when Bumblebee grew again. I just want to tell you, he's in _excellent hands_."

Winnie swallows. "First Aid?" she asks not taking her eyes off Redbeam.

"Yes, Winnie?" First Aid says, walking over with some medical supplies. "What can I help you with?"

"C-could you call G? Tell her Bumblebee needs a pick up, please."

"She most likely is asleep as well. When she wakes up, she will come, or Bumblebee will be given an escort."

"Thank you. I think Sunray is over there still. I'm sorry about this." She looks over to Bee in the corner and then runs out of the medbay.

Winnie takes a right outside the medbay doors. Running down the hall to communications, she sees a set of sturdy doors to the brig. Reaching up to the handle just above her head on the door, she pulls it open and looks down the hall of cells in the first level of brig. Looking around Winnie slowly walks down the steps. She walks down the aisle, avoiding the occasional hand reaching out for her.

Winnie shivers in the hall. Glancing back and forth between the cells she nears the corner. "Max?" she calls softly.

"Winnie?" the matching voice responds. "I'm on the end."

Quickening her pace she reaches the cell before the corner. "Max. Are you okay?" She looks in, searching for the mech.

Max sits on the berth, shoulders hunched, as the ceiling is too low.

"Hi, Winnie," he says quietly. "What can I do for you?"

"I... I can't believe I got you into this."

"Eh, I'm okay," Max says. "The brig is nicer than my quarters."

"I'm sorry Max. But... I need your help, if you don't mind."

"Sure," Max says. "What do you need?"

"Do you know where Depthcharge's quarters is?" She leans on the cell door. "Or at least where he would be?"

"Well, his quarters are... uh... number seven-oh-nine, a few doors down from me... but he's not in them a lot. He's either out and about in Base, in Metroplex, or in the lake... do you want me to com him?"

"Yes, please," she says anxiously.

"Okay. Fort Max to Depthcharge."

"Here. What do you want?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm in my quarters."

"Okay. Thank you. Quarters, Winnie."

"Thank you so much, Max! Seven-oh-nine. Thank you. I'll come back a little later." Winnie waves and sprints down the hall and towards the stairs.

She shuts the door firmly, and runs back to medbay, standing in front of the door. Let's see... left-

"Winnifred, what are you doing?"

Winnie jumps and spins around.

"I'm trying to figure out which way quarters number seven-oh-nine is," she explains.

"Oh, that's a left from here... don't go alone. Please don't go alone. I'll even wake up Bumblebee for you, if you will not _go alone._"

"Ratchet... I... I'll come back. Bee will just get into a fight..." She glances down the hall.

"No, it would be best to have Bumblebee with you," Ratchet says, sternly. "First Aid, wake 'im up."

First Aid pulls a syringe and vial out of subspace, and fills it, injecting Bumblebee in the opposite shoulder. The darts still sit in his right shoulder, and as he comes around, he groans.

"Wha...First Aid, what happened?"

"Bumblebee, come here."

Winnie groans. "Why... gah, Ratchet." She takes off down the left hall.

Bumblebee, still groggy, follows her slowly, regaining motor functions.

"Winnie..." he groans. "Can you pull the needles out of my shoulder?"

Winnie slows down and turns. She walks over to Bee and motions him to bend down. "I'll pull these out, but you have to stay here."

"Okay," he says softly, going down on a knee.

Winnie reaches up, and gingerly pulls each syringe out, making sure the needles are whole.

"That better?"

"Yeah," he says, rolling his shoulder. "Take a blade with you... please. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Thanks, Bee, but I have one already." She pulls a knife in a leather sheath out of her pocket.

"N-No," Bumblebee yawns. "Bigger."

Reaching into subspace, he pulls out a sword, nearly as long as Winnie's arm.

"Wow." Winnie takes it gingerly. "Thank... thank you Bee."

"Yeah," he says, sliding down to sit by the wall. "Don't... don't die."

"You can't get rid of me that easy. I won't." She touches Bee's shoulder and turns around down the hall. "But... if I take too long, make sure that Lifeflight isn't alone." She puts the sheath under her arm and starts running.

"O-Okay," Bee rumbles.

Winnie races through the left hall, making a left. Down the corridor, she sees rats crawling on the floor and cockroaches skittering across the walls. What happened here?

Winnie starts counting the doors. The numbers are smudged with grime. She hears a voice, harsh and cold. She ducks behind a huge energon crate. The lights are dim and the voice passes. Heart beating hard she creeps to the door.

The numbers read "709" and she timidly knocks on it.

"Yes?" a voice purrs inside, and the door opens, revealing a bulky mech. "She-wench."

"May I come in?" she asks with a smile.

"Yes," the mech says, grinning darkly. He pushes open the door.

"Thank you." Winnie steps cautiously inside, and forces her breath to stay even.

As soon as she is inside, the mech shuts the door loudly, plunging them both into darkness.

Winnie quickly feels for the wall. "Nice place," she whispers.

A pair of hands slide over her shoulders. "My light burned out three weeks ago."

Winnie inhales quickly. She leaps forward and slides the sword from the sheath. Spinning around she looks through the shadows.

The mech laughs. "Even in total darkness I can still see you. But... can you see me?"

Winnie swallows. "Well... that's not too much of a problem. Where is he?" She turns in a circle, keeping on her toes.

"Oohh... you mean the little one, don't you? He was so much ^ital^ fun ^ital^ to play with."

Winnie backs again up to the wall. "If you hurt him..." She kicks the wall with her heel and moves farther down. Where was the door?

"Oh, I'm sorry... was he a friend?"

"Everyone's my friend. Well... you I'm starting to reconsider." She kicks out at the wall again.

"No, you missed my point. _Was_ he your friend? Keyword is _was_."

Winnie struggles to breathe."You're a pretty bad liar, mister."

"Am I?"

"Uh huh." She moves a little quicker up the wall. There has to be a door. There HAS to be a door.

"How can you tell? Is it the inflection? Or my blatant _lack of disregard for your mech's safety?_"

"Well... for A, you know Prowl will be on your tail. So you can't hurt Lifeflight until he's off the trail. For B, you aren't doing anything but freaking me out." Another hit. Then the corner.

"Really?" Depthcharge asks. "Lifeflight can be easily erased. He was dormant most of the war... wipe out his creation... and his Earth transfer... poof. Mech gone. Prowl can't even recreate files."

"You can't erase memories. Lifeflight has met many bots. They know him. He's not gone."

*thump*

No.

*thump*

No.

"Why would you want him gone Depthcharge?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Depthcharge asks, "Do I need a reason? Or can I do this just to prove that _I cannot be challenged?_"

"What are you proving? Seems to me that now you'll just keep getting challenged."

*thump*

No.

"Top dog always has to fight."

"Who says I'll stop?" Depthcharge rumbles. "Your mech is one of many to come."

...

In the hallway, Bumblebee finally wakes up after his injection. Winnie! She went down that hall... what was she looking for? Picking himself up, Bee stretches, and pulls out a blade of his own, a long hunting knife. Walking down the hall, he growls at a mech that passes him, and listens.

The left. She was on the left side, in a quarters. Approaching the first door, seven-oh-six, he stabs it with his knife, punching a hole through. He pulls the knife back, and peeks in. Nope.

...

Winnie stops. "You're makin' your way further down the list, man," she growls.

*thump*

No.

...

Seven-oh-seven. Nope.

...

"My only direct challenger is Hornet. Or Bumblebee, if you know him _personally_. Redbeam is too _scared_ to even talk out of turn with me."

Winnie thumps one last time. There wasn't a door. Nowhere!

"Well, that's a nice way to talk about your bud. So if Lifeflight wasn't here, hypothetically, where would he be?" she asks sweetly.

Stepping away from the wall Winnie turns. Then she feels a hand slip over her mouth and rank breath on her face.

"Bumblebee is not a friend," he growls. "Not to me. He left the Dark Missions and we fell apart. If he challenged me..."

...

Seven-oh-eight. Not there.

...

Winnie's eyes widen and her breathing quickens. Then she throws her head back and drops down. Sliding up from the floor she hears Depthcharge curse. Turning she lashes out with Bee's sword and it connects. She didn't expect that.

...

Bumblebee stabs the next door, and pulls the blade out to peek inside. Winnie!

...

Light streams in and Winnie runs forward. Bumblebee takes ahold of the door, and rips it free, light flowing into the dark room. Depthcharge growls, turning to Bee.

"Bee, go! Lifeflight isn't here! Go!"

"But Depthcharge is." Stalking in, Bumblebee halts. "Wait... yes he is."

"Bee... deal with him later. Let's go." Winnie turns to see Depthcharge, energon dripping into a puddle from his arm.


	10. Chapter 10

"No. Sea-"

Depthcharge lunges at Bee, and throws a punch.

"Winnie! Search the room!"

"But... bu-" Winnie moves to the side and drops her blade as Depthcharge is thrown sideways. "Okay."

Winnie looks around the room, lit dimly. There is a berth in the corner, and she sticks her hand underneath, feeling for Lifeflight.

"Please..."

One of the bots crash beside her, and she sticks her head under the berth. It stinks like bad things. Dust, dirt, and grime cover the floor. Then her hand bumps against a lump. She inhales the dusty dirt.

"Lifeflight?" Winnie wraps her hand around it and drags the lump out.

As she brings the lump into the light, her throat closes. It _is_ Lifeflight... but he is unconscious. Quickly standing up she shouts to Bee.

"I got him. I've got Lifeflight." She holds the small bot close.

Depthcharge shoves Bumblebee up against the wall, an elbow under his chin.

"Get off... of... me," Bumblebee gasps, squirming under the harsh elbow.

"Back off!" The mech turns to see Winnie with Lifeflight in the crook of her arm. Her sword is pointed at a little chink in the pit of Depthcharge's armor. "I don't want to do this. Back off."

"Do you have the guts?" Depthcharge growls.

"Not to kill you. Back off."

Winnie presses the blade in, making a flap of metal skin right next to a patch of nerves. Bumblebee bucks under Depthcharge's hold, and the sword pierces further. Winnie, shocked, freezes as the sword slides deep.

Depthcharge also freezes, and his elbow drops.

"You win," he gasps.

Winnie's jaw drops open, and she drops the sword and stumbles back. As soon as the sword pulls out, Depthcharge sucks in a breath, and falls to the floor.

"Temporary paralysis," Bumblebee says, "let's go."

Winnie swallows and practically runs from the room into the light. Bumblebee picks up the sword and follows her, at a much slower pace.

"Winnie! Winnie, hang on!"

She slows to a walk, looking down at Lifeflight. "B-bee? Wh-What did h-he do to h-him?" she asks, as he catches up.

"Let me see," Bumblebee rumbles, holding out his hands for Lifeflight.

Winnie, hands shaking, places the small mech gently in his hands. Bumblebee pulls him up, tilting his head to listen closely.

"He's alive," Bumblebee says. "Let's go home - G will fix him."

Winnie looks back to Depthcharge's room. "I-Is he...?"

"Nope. He is also unconscious. Worry not, Winnie. I would not let _you_ kill him."

"O-Okay." Winnie turns away and looks down at the little bot.

"C'mon," Bumblebee sighs, shifting Lifeflight to one hand and holding out the other for Winnie.

Winnie takes it and shivers as one of the lights above flickers. They walk down the hall, and turn right, soon in the light of mainbay. Bumblebee and Winnie walk through the medbay, evading Ratchet, and step through the warp pad.

...

Winnie sees the bright house and sinks a little into the warm light. G walks out of the living room, and immediately goes over to the two.

"What hap- Lifeflight! Here, Bee, let me."

Bumblebee holds out his hand, and G puts hers over it, sending a wave of healing through him. Lifeflight groans, and shifts on Bumblebee's hand.

"He will be fine, Winnie. Let him wake up naturally, and go from there."

Winnie bites the inside of her cheek. "I need to go home." She stares at the sleeping Lifeflight.

"Winnie, rest. Stay here and wait for Lifeflight. He needs you to remain stationary right now," Bumblebee says, rubbing Winnie's shoulder. "I'll play some Fish with you if you stay."

"I need to get home." Winnie turns and walks back through the warp field.

"But-" Bumblebee stammers, watching Winnie leave.

"Leave her be," G says softly. "I'll watch Lifeflight."

"Okay," Bumblebee sighs, handing off the sleeping medic to G.

...

Winnie runs from the medbay and out past the many bots. Tears cloud her eyes as she races away from the base. She is going back home, back home to stay.

...

Bumblebee lies on the couch, and G sits at his head, holding Lifeflight gently in her lap. As the hour passes, Lifeflight begins to stir.

"W-W-Winnie?" he whispers, eyes opening. He looks up, confused, at G.

"She had to leave for a bit."

...

Winnie slows to a walk as she enters the familiar clearing. Branches lay everywhere on the soft grass, and some are stuck through the garden fence. The two trees are still where they landed. Walking over, she examines the damage; one came through the living room, crushing half of her rusty-red couch and an old bookshelf.

The other tree is lodged in the hall, scattering the pictures that had hung on the wall. Picking her way through the carnage, she opens the door to Lifeflight's room. It is intact and looks as it always had. Winnie crosses the room, and syncs his speakers with the outdoor ones.

Turning the volume up all the way, she walks outside and grabs an axe that is by the door. Walking over to the tree she begins to swipe at the trunk of the tree.

"Some nights I stay up, cashing in my bad luck..."

...

"Why d-did she leave?" Lifeflight whimpers, shivering. "I-I h-h-hope sh-she isn't-t m-m-mad at-t me."

"I'm sure she isn't," G says softly, putting a hand around Lifeflight to keep him warm. "She'll be back soon."

...

Winnie breaks up the tree's trunk, the bass pounding in her ears. Her eyes hurt and the splinters of wood fly up to meet her skin. She casts the pieces aside as they come off and the song repeats itself over... and over... and over.

...

"D-D-Did she r-rep-place her c-com?" Lifeflight asks softly.

"No, Lifeflight, I don't think she has."

...

The sun starts to sink and Winnie continues. One more song, one more wood plank. It starts to rain. "Who wants to die alone?"

...

"I better go get Winnie," Bumblebee sighs.

"T-Take m-m-me-e with y-you," Lifeflight begs, looking up at Bumblebee as he stands. "P-Please!"

"Of course," Bee says, holding out a hand.

...

Winnie soon runs out of one tree, and looks out into the damp woods. She drops the axe in the soft dirt and steps forward to it. All the birds had been scared away by the music. "What do I stand for?"

...

Bumblebee throws a blanket over the sleeping G, and walks quietly through the warp pad. Holding Lifeflight close to his chest, he crosses medbay and mainbay with ease, transforming swiftly outside.

...

She passes tree after tree, now unfamiliar and foreboding. But her feet know the way. "Most nights, I don't know... anymore." The song still pounds through her skull.

...

Bumblebee drives down the muddy road, dirt and small rocks spattering up along his sides in concern for Winnie. Why hadn't she come back by now? It was raining!

Holoform in the driver's seat, Lifeflight rests in his lap, curled against the warmth. As Bumblebee pulls up to the compound, he scans for Winnie. Nothing.

"Wh-Where is she?" Lifeflight asks, trying to look out the window.

"I don't know."

...

Winnie comes to one of the streams. She walks in, boots soaking in the muddy water. She sits down hard, shivering in the mud. The rain trickles down her back and she wraps her arms around her sides. Tears leak from her eyes. "Some nights I wish that this all would end."

...

Bumblebee transforms, holding Lifeflight in his hand, and the tiny mech shivers. "H-Help me look," Lifeflight says, looking up at Bee.

"I will."

Walking past the compound, Bumblebee steps into the trees, looking for Winnie. He spots her, curled up by a tree. He halts, and points her out to Lifeflight.

"I'll wait by the compound," he says. "You need to sort this out yourself."

Lifeflight transforms and starts up, flying towards Winnie.

...

Winnie hiccups and listens to the song playing in her head. Oblivious to the small copter. She pulls her knees close as more tears come. The melody rings in her ears, hating herself more every new beat.

...

Lifeflight now hovers over Winnie, and Bumblebee has disappeared. Watching Winnie be upset, he wishes he was bigger. Transforming, he lands on her knees, sliding down in the little divot.

...

Winnie feels the little mech and starts."L-Lifeflight? W-What? W-Why are you...? You-ou shouldn't be..." she stammers, quickly trying to wipe the tear tracks from her puffy eyes.

"I-I c-can't-t st-stay away," he whimpers, pressing against her. "I-I want you t-t-to come home."

"L-Lifeflight t-this i-is my hom-me. It's-s n-not s-safe."

"Th-Then I'll s-stay here!" he cries. "I w-wish I w-was big-g so I c-could-d hold y-you a-and provide and-and-and..."

Lifeflight presses against Winnie, starting to cry. "S-Stop pushing m-me away! I want t-to be with _you_."

Winnie chokes."I'll j-jus-t h-hurt y-you. Wh-When-n you're wi-with th-them y-ou're s-safe."

"I-If being w-with you-ou means-s I'll b-be unsafe, th-then so be it!" Lifeflight whimpers, looking up into Winnie's wet eyes.

"No... L-Lifeflight. N-no." Her head falls forward onto her chest. "N-No... I d-d-don't wan-t to b-be Hei Bai. I don't wa-want to l-lose y-you," she whispers.

"O-Once I'm se-seventeen f-f-feet tall y-you cannot lose m-me," Lifeflight whimpers. "I-I want to b-be with you. A-And don't forget... Hei Bai h-had a Tai Bei. A-And I want t-to be your T-Tai Bei."

Winnie hugs him close. "I'm s-so s-sor-ry-y."

"Wh-Why?" Lifeflight asks, suddenly taken aback. "A-Are y-you... a-already..."

Winnie smiles. "N-no Lifeflight... I-I..."

"Wh-What?" he asks, searching her eyes for meaning.

"I... I-I'll go home." She looks down.

There is silence for a moment, before Lifeflight breaks the still.

"D-Do I get an a-answer?" he asks quietly. "I-If you w-want m-me t-to stop-p-"

"I... I just... Lifeflight I really... I really... l-like you."

"W-Winnie," he says, very slowly, "w-will y-you not run f-from me?"

"No... no..."

"B-Because I w-won't run f-from you," he says. "I-I... I-I..." Lifeflight's face flushes, and he smiles. "Th-Those words are ex-exactly what I wanted to t-tell you. I-I... _like you a lot_."

Winnie hugs the little bot. "I-I missed you."

"I-I w-was-s so worried I wouldn't b-be coming back," Lifeflight whispers.

"You're back n-now."

"I-I was s-so afraid," he murmurs.

"Shh... I w-was too. But you're back now. I-It's over."

"A-And thank g-goodness-s for that," Lifeflight says.

Winnie leans back, Lifeflight tucked in her arms and shivers.

"You're w-wet again," he says, giggling, and he pokes her in the side.

Winnie laughs and hiccups. "That seems to be happening a lot lately. Gil's gonna kill me for getting her clothes dirty."

"Th-That's what w-washing's for," Lifeflight says, pulling on some of the wet clothing. "A-Although you're warm."

"Let's go get you warmed up too," Winnie says, pushing herself up.

Lifeflight hangs onto Winnie as she stands up, and starts walking. Winnie carefully ducks around the ensnaring branches. As they near the compound the music becomes louder.

"H-Hey, th-that song..." Lifeflight says, "Y-You remembered-d."

"There are a few things of importance I can remember. That's one."

Lifeflight laughs and nuzzles into Winnie. "D-D-o you h-have anything-g to bring with you?"

Winnie gazes at her crumbling home. "No... just you."

Lifeflight's rotors flick, and he breathes a sigh of relief. "I'm... ex-excited you f-feel the s-same way I-I-I do."

Winnie's face blushes deeper past her puffy eyes, and mumbles something unintelligible. Bumblebee honks once, and flicks his headlights. Winnie waves and walks over.

"Hey, Bee, what time is it?"

"Its nearing eight o'clock. Why?"

Winnie glances over her shoulder. "Just wondering how long it would take me to chop that tree out..." Then she turns back and nears the car door.

"I can do that," Bumblebee says, transforming and stretching.

"No, it's fine. It'll give me something to do tomorrow."

"Oh-kay," Bee rumbles. "Are you ready to go home?"

Winnie nods her head and then stops. "Wait a sec. I need to turn the music off." She sets Lifeflight on the wet grass and jogs back to the compound. Soon the music is silenced and Winnie picks her way back from the rubble.

"Ready?" Lifeflight asks, looking up at Winnie.

"Uh-huh." She bends down and holds a hand out.

Lifeflight clambers on, and looks up at Winnie as she picks him up. Bumblebee transforms, and pops open the passenger door for Winnie. She climbs in where the blanket lies in the seat. She gently sets Lifeflight in her lap and leans her head back. Lifeflight presses into her warmth, and Bumblebee starts his engine, and the door shuts.

"B-Bumblebee?" Lifeflight asks, "Winnie needs a new comlink."

Winnie sits back up. "It'll be fine. I might figure out how to piece the old one back together."

"If it was broken or the casing was open, it increases the likelihood of being shocked," Bumblebee says, voice rumbling through the speakers. "By the way... one actually is on it's way for you. It was ordered as soon as Lifeflight told me the other one was destroyed."

"It wasn't really... destroyed... I just... kinda sat on it. And thank you, but you really didn't need to."

"I need to keep in contact with you," Bumblebee says.

"A-And I like t-to be able t-to speak with you," Lifeflight pipes up.

"Okay, okay." Winnie smiles and sets her hand in her lap next to Lifeflight.

Lifeflight stretches his legs out on her lap, curling his toes. Bumblebee pulls onto the road, and begins heading towards Base.

Winnie leans back and yawns. "Thank you."

"No issue," Bumblebee says. "Sit back and relax."

She sighs and yawns again, forcing her eyes to stay open. Bumblebee rolls up to Base, and calls for a warpgate, driving straight through. On Tyrus, he shuts his engine off in the yard. Before the bot transforms, Winnie opens the door and hops out, Lifeflight in the crook of her arm. Bumblebee stands, and walks up onto the porch, opening the door for Winnie.

Winnie slides off her muddy boots and steps in with squelching socks. "Thanks, Bee."

"Yep. Now, you three, off to bed." Bumblebee gestures to the sparklings in the living room, and Blade sighs.

Shield gets up and leaves without a fight, but Raybeam yawns and his doorwings droop. Blade glares defiantly at Bee.

"C'mon," Bee says, picking Blade and Raybeam up, one in each arm. "Time for sleep."

"Don' wanna," Blade grumbles, lying over Bee's shoulder as he ascends the stairs.


	11. Chapter 11

Winnie lays Lifeflight on one of the couch pillows and leans on the back.

"Are you hungry?" G asks, looking to Winnie and Lifeflight.

"Not particularly. What about you, Lifeflight?"

"Y-Yes!" he blurts, looking from Winnie to G. "I-I mean, yes p-please."

Winnie smiles and squeezes out her wet hair onto her shoulder.

"And _you_ can go take _another_ shower," G says. "Leave the clothes in the tub."

"I've taken so many showers today, I don't even know if it's funny anymore." Winnie smiles and walks toward the bathroom.

Before Winnie leaves, Lifeflight extends a hand. "C-Could you put me on the island?"

"Yup." Winnie turns and squishes back to the couch and gently picks him up. Walking into the kitchen, she deposits him on the counter. She smiles before turning back.

The shot glass is set down by Lifeflight, and he begins to drink.

...

Winnie enters the bathroom and closes the door behind her. Hopping in the shower, she quickly warms up and steam fills the room. Humming she lays the damp clothes on the tub lip and dries off. She wraps a towel around her and sticks her head out.

"Gil? Um..." She sees Lifeflight and quickly ducks back in.

"S-She went upstairs," Lifeflight says quietly. "Do y-you need something?"

"N-No. It's fine."

She shuts the door and retrieves the clothes from the tub. Scrubbing the worst of the mud out, she puts them on and comes back out. G walks down the stairs, holding a pair of folded pajamas. She walks into the washroom, and confronts Winnie.

"Take those off," she says, gesturing to the wet clothes Winnie was wearing. "They're filthy."

Winnie looks down in mock horror then smiles at her friend. "Well, that's a matter of perspective. But I don't want to mess up your couch." She pokes G in the ribs and takes the pajamas.

"You're sleeping upstairs, silly," G says. "You have a room."

"It's gonna take me forever to remember." She quickly puts on the fuzzy jammies and turns back. "Thanks."

"Heck yeah," G says, "leave the _dirty, wet clothes_ in the tub."

"As you wish." Winnie carefully sets the clothes on the edge of the tub and turns, bowing to Gil. "Anything else, mademoiselle?"

"Um... toothbrush?" G asks.

"If you have one, please." Winnie straightens up. "Today's been so crazy, I completely forgot earlier."

"I do, and what flavor of toothpaste do you want?"

"Just mint is fine, thanks."

"Alright... we do have bubblegum, too, and metal for our more metallic friends."

"Ooh may I have some of that bubblegum?"

"Sure."

"I l-like bubblegum!" Lifeflight calls from the kitchen. "I mean... metal is f-fine."

"Two toothbrushes, bubblegum, coming right up," G says, walking out and back upstairs.

Winnie walks out to the kitchen and leans up against the counter, waiting for Gilli to come back.

"I like your nighties," Lifeflight mumbles.

"Thanks." Winnie looks down at the PJs with little blue flowers on the bottoms and a pink shirt with a bunny on the front.

Winnie pulls up a chair and smiles at Lifeflight. She yawns and watches his rotors flick. G walks back down with a tube of toothpaste and two toothbrushes, one big and one small.

"Here you go."

Winnie takes it and examines the little one. "Where in Davy Jones would you find this?"

"Bumblebee," G says.

Winnie hands it to Lifeflight and sets her hand on the counter next to him. Climbing onto Winnie's hand, she takes him into the bathroom, and sets him down on the edge of the sink. Winnie squirts some toothpaste onto her brush and then sets the tube on the counter next to Lifeflight. She gently presses on the plastic, squeezing out the tiniest bit for him.

Lifeflight wobbles on the counter, and reaches out for Winnie's hand. "C-Can I hang onto y-you so-o I don't f-fall?"

Winnie holds out her hand to steady him then and turns on the water to barely a drip. She wets her toothbrush and picks Lifeflight up to do the same. She puts him back on the counter and keeps her hand out while she brushes her teeth.

Lifeflight's hand curls around her finger, steadying himself while he brushes. They rinse and leave the toothbrushes on the counter. When they walk out, G meets them.

"Now, I know I'm not your mother, but you ought to get to bed," G says. "If you're still hungry, I shall make you some food."

Winnie tries not to yawn and nods. "I think I'm good, Mom," she says, smiling sleepily. "Thank you, though."

"Alright, now get going! You need to rest, you've slept very little in the past few days."

Winnie laughs. " 'Night Gil. See ya tomorrow." She hops up the stairs towards her room.

Lifeflight hangs onto her hand, and when Winnie enters her room, sees a nest made out of a fluffy blanket on the other side of the bed. Winnie leaves the door open a crack and turns the main light off. Shuffling over in the dark, she quickly turns the lamp on and sets Lifeflight in the bundle of blankets on the right side of the bed. Once he's secure she flops on the soft mattress.

"I-I like th-this," Lifeflight murmurs.

"The blanket?" Winnie asks, rolling over to face him.

"B-Being so c-close to you," he says. "I-I like your-r proximity. I-I can taste your signature."

Winnie's face turns pink. She laughs nervously. "Taste? Mine must be pretty sour."

"No," he says, looking up at the ceiling. "More... more o-of... grass-s at night. Y-You can't, but we c-can feel and... well, the b-best description of is taste... y-your energy s-signature. If you were Mecha... y-you could taste and feel mine."

"I bet you'd be sweet and warm." Winnie's eyes droop and she smiles.

Lifeflight chuckles and smiles. "Th-Thank you."

Winnie sits up and pulls up the covers. And leans back into the pillow. Lifeflight listens to her as she slowly falls asleep. At least he isn't curled up under Depthcharge's berth any longer...

...

Lifeflight wakes up in the early morning, fresh from a nightmare. Depthcharge! Where- oh yes. Back at home... with Winnie. Winnie. Lifeflight crawls out of his nest and slides down to press against Winnie's sleeping form. Not alone. Not alone.

...

Winnie wakes up in the morning and she feels something under the sheet. Looking down she sees little Lifeflight curled in the crook of her arm. Her heart skips for a moment. She smiles and looks over at the clock 6:20. Winnie's eyes widen.

"Crud."

She looks over and she quickly shifts away from Lifeflight. Sliding from the bed she creeps towards the door.

...

Lifeflight only moans in sleep and curls deeper into Winnie's warm spot, but as she opens the door, he snaps awake.

"W-Winnie?"

Winnie stops and looks over her shoulder. "Shh... Lifeflight, go back to sleep. I need to go. I'll be back later."

"Where... where g-going?" he mumbles, rubbing an eye.

"The cattle rancher is coming down. I'm already gonna be late as it is... could you tell Gil and Bee when they wake up?"

"I'm up," Bumblebee says, peeking in through the open door. "Lifeflight, you can sleep. I'll make sure to either bring Winnie back, or take you to her."

"Oh... okay," Lifeflight mumbles, lying back down. "Don't... hurt yours-self."

"Okay." Winnie walks through the door, past Bee. "Why is everyone so afraid of cows?" she asks quietly.

"Not," Bumblebee says, "but I've seen electrobull runs and they are... pretty bad."

"Huh... these guys hopefully will be okay." She looks down at her PJs. Turning, she hurries down the stairs to retrieve her borrowed clothes from the tub.

And... the clothes are nowhere to be seen.

"Yo," G says, walking down the stairs. "Fresh duds."

She holds a pile, and hands them off to Winnie.

"I'm gonna ruin all your stuff if you keep this up, Gil," Winnie argues, but she takes them anyway.

"That's what a washer and dryer are for," G says. "You just get things muddy... that's an easy fix."

Winnie sticks her tongue out. "Mud and cow patties also stain." She retreats into the bathroom and quickly changes.

"Good thing I have a strong mech to scrub, then. Will you be back for lunch?"

"I take offense to scrubbing," Bumblebee grumbles. "I prefer dishes. At least there's bubbles."

"Maybe... depends on how many cows this guy brought down. I'll send Bee back, though." She folds up the pajamas and hands them over to G.

"Let's hit it, Winnie. Do you need the calvary?"

"Ya, but could you ride Brawny, when we get there? I'll be on the ground a lot and he needs something to do." She walks over to the mech.

"Sure... I just don't want to hurt him. I'm a lot heavier than you, and I know that he is capable of carrying large weights..."

"He'll be fine Bee. He doesn't look it but he can haul. And he'll know what to do if a cow gets out. Just hang on and you should be fine," she says, smiling a little evilly at him.

"Okay," Bumblebee says. "Oh! Your new com arrived. _Wear it."_

He pulls a package out of subspace, and hands it to Winnie.

"I will." Winnie accepts the package and opens it up, pulling the tiny earpiece out. "Thanks, you guys. I definitely owe you," she says, fitting it into her ear.

"Now, it shouldn't fall out," Bumblebee says. "It will... modify... to fit. Like my transformation sequence."

Winnie's eyes widen, and she touches it and feels it shift. It was a perfect fit. "But these... these cost a fortune at human marketing. How... ?"

"Contacts," Bumblebee says with a smile. "Contacts, and the Mecha market. Now, let's get going."

"I'm not letting THIS one slide... but we do need to go. I'll grab Brawny." She scowls at Bee good-naturedly and then runs outside to the stables.

Bumblebee follows her out, activating the warp gate. Winnie returns with Brawny and her saddle.

"You ready?" she asks, swinging onto the horse.

"Yes. Don't pay me," Bumblebee says. "It will just be too easy to recredit your accounts. I don't want your credits."

Winnie smiles. "We'll see. Might be credits. Might not." She jumps Brawny through the gate onto the soft earth outside the Base.

...

Bumblebee follows her, and before Winnie can continue, he puts a hand on Brawny's neck. "Do you really want to pay me back?"

"Yes," Winnie says, looking down at him.

"Find me a black, tailless kitten, then," Bumblebee says. "By October fourteenth. Preferably with yellow eyes. G cannot stop thinking about her old cat. Then you will have paid me back."

"That I can do." Winnie says smiling. "I remember Smudge. It won't be too hard."

"Great!" Bumblebee smiles and he transforms, flashing his headlights to Winnie.

"Keep up!"

Winnie kicks Brawny into a run. She leads Bee past the village and into a grassy field just inside the woods. She slows down and waves her hand at the field for Bee to take a look. "You sure you're ready for this?"

"I think-" Bumblebee stops mid-sentence as the cows start coming down.

"Stay here 'til we get them in," Winnie says, laughing at his surprised look, and kicks Brawny back into a run.

The cows are a giant sea of black, brown and white splotches, with the traditional incandescent glow of bioluminescence. Five other riders come over the hill on the sides of the cows, funneling them into the fenced field.

Brawny gallops towards the gate and Winnie slides off, opening it just as the cows reach the fence. Transforming, Bumblebee stands up and watches as the cows funnel into the field.

One breaks away, and starts walking towards him. Winnie sees the cow and mounts Brawny again. It's a yearling, and runs right back to the herd once Winnie gets near.

"You can come over to the fence now, I'll introduce you," she calls as the riders push the stragglers into the field.

"Alright," Bumblebee says, following Winnie.

Winnie waves to one of the horsemen as they near the fence. He rides over and dismounts - he is a lanky man with a scraggly beard and salt-and-pepper hair. He stares, mouth slightly open, up at Bee from under his floppy brown hat.

"How are you doin', sir?" Winnie says brightly. "This is Bumblebee. Bee, this is Mr. Jacobson. He owns the cattle and his boys over there will be shuttling them back and forth."

"Hello," Bumblebee says, eyeing the man cautiously. "Have we... met?"

"Y-Yes, Sur." The rancher gazes up at Bee. "W-We met at Camp 35."

"I remember now. I was shipped out for that solo directly after my transfer."

"Yus, Sur." The man puts his head down and walks back to his horse.

"What do you need me to do?" Bumblebee asks. "I can do mostly anything after you show me how."

"Well... lets see. You could go in and do the perimeter. Just keep close to the fence line and you'll be fine," Winnie says, handing him Brawny's reins.

"O-kay," Bee says. "And if they approach me?"

"Just let them. If they get too close, then Brawny will deal with them. With you just being there, they should stay inwards." She starts to jog around to the other side of the field and stops. "Oh, and watch out for their tongues." Smiling back at him, Winnie runs around to where the chute is.

Bumblebee swings up onto Brawny's back, and lowers the stirrups a little. Brawny almost looks like a pony beneath him. Starting out, Bumblebee follows one of the other younger riders into the field.

The rider looks out on the cows, and sees Bee out of the corner of his eye. The boy of about thirteen turns in the saddle and stares at Bee, the horse continuing to move forward.

Bee sticks his tongue out and smiles at the boy, flaring his panels. The boy startles as the panels fly up, and he urges his mount forward. Sighing, Bumblebee turns his attentions back to the cows. He scans the one nearest him, and as he is analyzing it, he is brought out of his daydream by a call.

A cow wiggles out from the fencing, far ahead of Bee. Brawny tenses and leaps forward to stop the escapee, barely making it over without knocking Bumblebee loose. Finally recentering his balance, Bumblebee holds on as Brawny herds the cow roughly back into the bunch. One of the boys comes over and opens the gate to let the cow in.

"Thank you, Sur," he says watching Bee from the corner of his eye. This one is older, and has the same stature as Mr. Jacobson.

"Uh... you're welcome," Bee says, as Brawny moves away.

...

The cows move in a general rhythm as the day wears on. As the sun climbs higher, the bovine smells rise and the chute seems to become louder.

By the time noon rolls around, the cowhands are making more games out of their work; wrestling steers, roping, and racing their horses. Bumblebee now stands by Winnie, fired from his job as cowhand due to an unfortunate run-in with the fencing.

Winnie moves away from the chute and over to Mr. Jacobson - they talk quietly for a moment. The man nods, and calls the boys out of the field. Winnie, covered in manure and other fluids, walks over to Bee.

"We're gonna take a break while the boys take the cows that are done out to the pastures." She eases down next to him, in the shade of the tree. "So how are ya holding up?"

"Fine," Bumblebee says, sitting down beside Winnie, turning over so his panels face the sky, and he stretches out on the grass. "You?"

"Amazing. The chute is the best thing since air conditioning." She pulls out a notepad and starts writing. "So, have you made any friends yet?"

"Um... no. The humans... are a closely knit social group. They do not take well to outsiders... especially those of another species. Have you made any... friends?"

"I've practically watched these kids grow up. They'll warm up to you." She scribbles something out. "They actually really like you."

"Really?" Bee asks, looking up at Winnie curiously. "Winnie... my social circle is very small. I'm not one that many Mecha interact with. There's G... my children... you, of course, Lifeflight, Max, Rung, and Jolt. That's pretty much the entirety of my friends."

"I'm glad that I qualify," she says with a smile. "But they really do like you. Most humans think of you guys like... the upper class. These people are from a little farther north, so they don't see a lot of Mecha. No one does, really. They really want to see what you're like." She sets the pad down and leans back in the grass.

"Huh. When I first... first tried the humans... they weren't very receptive. I mean, we destroyed their planet. G doesn't seem to be fazed by it, but the rest..."

"You didn't destroy our planet, Bee... and don't take it like that. Humans can get scared quite easily. But they definitely bounce back. You should come down to the village every now and again. You'll see."

"Okay," he rumbles, lying back down on the grass. "So warm..."

"It gets warmer." Winnie says, standing up.

"I like the warmth on my panels," he groans, as the wide platforms slowly lie out flat. "I could fall asleep. Don't let me do that, though..."

"You can if you want, you need it." She smiles and walks towards the chute.

"Mmm..." Bumblebee groans, the sun slowly putting him to sleep.

Winnie turns back as the boys come charging down from the cows. They jeer and laugh as they race. As the boys funnel back in, the cows begin circulating.

She opens one side of the chute, and Mr. Jacobson does the other. The first cow is run in, and they close the opening. The steer bellows angrily, and fecal matter is flung in all directions.

"Another day in paradise." Winnie grumbles, as she checks the cow for infections and other ailments.

...

Cow after cow. Hour after hour, Winnie continues to work. She occasionally looks over to Bee, who is still asleep. When they get down to the final few, she looks again.

One of the middle boys, part of a set of twins, is sitting on the grass a shot distance from Bee. The boy is intrigued, watching the Mech's door wings. The twins are the quieter ones, but this one sits silently. Winnie smiles.

As a fly lands on one of the panels, it twitches, twitches, and the fly buzzes around and lands on the other side, making that panel twitch as well. Winnie smiles and lets the last cow meander through the chute. She touches her new com and finds Bee's signal.

"Bee, wake up and don't move..." she says softly.

"Why?" he asks, "is there a butterfly on my back?"

"No... move your panels a bit. Time for you to make a friend."

Bumblebee flicks his panels up and back, and he sighs, letting them flop down over his shoulders. The boy jumps at the sudden movement, then leans forward. His eyes are bright as he looks on at Bee.

"Can I move?" Bee asks, "What are you doing?"

"Just trust me. Do it again, and then sit up," she says watching the scene.

Pulling his panels back upright, Bee flicks them, and slowly, they come to rest in a calm position, and he slowly pushes himself upright.

"Now what?"

"Just do... say hello." She watches the boy stare in awe as the bot sits up.

"To... oh." Bumblebee turns, seeing the boy watching him. "H-Hi," Bee says.

The boy sits in shock for a moment, then he scoots back towards the tree. "S-sorry, Sur. I jus'... I didn't mean nothing by-" he stammers, looking back and forth between the ground and Bee.

"It's okay," Bee says, panels perking up. "What's your name?"

"J-Jon, Sur." The boy watches Bee's panels.

Bee manages a hopeful smile. "It's nice to meet you, Jon."

"A-Are you gonna tell Pa?" the kid says, shrinking away a bit.

"Tell him what?" Bee asks.

The boy swallows. "P-Pa said n-not to disturb you or anything."

"It's fine," Bee says, stretching. "You're not 'disturbing' me."

The boy's eyes flick up. "Thank you, Sur."

Crossing his legs, Bee watches the boy closely. The boy sits and watches Bumblebee, sitting up a little. After a little while, he quietly asks, "C-Can you fly?"

"No..." Bee says. "I drive. You wanna go for a ride?"

The boy's looks quizzically at Bee. "For a ride? Pa said to keep the horses close."

"No... I drive. I'm a vehicle."

"Like... like Pa's tractor? Or like Mr. Coney's... car?" The boy's eyes widen.

"Car," Bumblebee says. "Wanna see?"

The boy nods his head enthusiastically, making his hair flop. Bee stands up and steps back to make sure he has enough room, and transforms, folding down into his sleek alt mode.

The boy stumbles back and then looks on at the bot. "That's you?" He approaches cautiously.

"Yep," Bee calls, flashing his headlights. "It's me."

The boy breaks into a wide smile. "Wait 'til I tell Don about this!"

Bee opens up his passenger door. "You wanna go for a ride?"

The boy walks up to the door and looks inside. "I-I can sit? I can sit in you?"

"Sure," Bee says. "You look clean enough."

The boy crouches down and clumsily scootches into the seat. Winnie, walking up to the fence, watches the scene and smiles.

"Winnie? Am I clear?" Bee asks, and his door shuts.

"Yep." Winnie calls up the hill. "Be careful."

"Alright."


	12. Chapter 12

Bee fires up his engine, and slowly, the seat belts slither down over the boy's shoulders. Jon jerks as he feels them.

"Sir?!" he calls to Bumblebee's alt mode.

Bee's hologram appears in the driver's seat, and he looks over at the boy, who looks unsure.

"If you're gonna ride, you need to where the harness," Bee says. "I don't plan on wrecking, but if I do, you will be safe then."

"B-but you're like... like me!" The boy looks up and down the human figure.

"It's a hologram," Bee says. "You can reach right through me."

The belts resume their moving. The boy lets them secure and looks curiously over at Bee. "So... that ain't you? Like somethin' I've seen at the big market with Pa?"

"Yep," Bee says. "Where am I allowed to go, Winnie?"

Winnie touches her com again. "Stick close. By the time this is over I think you're going to have an audience."

She looks over to where the other boys pause in their quarreling, hearing the sound of Bee's engine. Bee revs up, and shifts into first gear, pulling out of the grass onto the gravel.

The boy sinks back into the seat. "You're doing that?" He looks out at the moving world.

"Yes," Bee says.

Jon's eyes widen with glee and he looks out the window. He waves at his brothers who piled over the fence to get a better look. "Pa said you were amazing."

"I... thank you," Bee mumbles, suddenly quieted. "Maybe you would like to go down to the track sometime?"

"Track? Like the old racers?" The boy bounces a little in his seat.

"Yes," Bumblebee says. "Like Old Earth."

"I wish I could go, but Pa says we're leaving soon." The boy looks out to the others who scramble over one another, trying to get a better look.

"Perhaps another time, then," Bumblebee says. "Do you live nearby?"

"No Sur, we live up north. Took us almost four weeks to get here with the cows. Then we keep on goin' to Uncle Raf's place."

"Oh," Bee says. "I'll have to... come visit, then. Where's your dad?" Bee asks. "If I get his approval, I might be able to take you down there now."

"Really?" The boy perks up. "Do ya mean it? He should be back soon."

"Of course," Bee says.

Jon smiles wide. "Thank you, Sur. Can my brothers come too?"

"I've only got one empty seat at a time... maybe a few quick laps and then I'll come back for them?"

"Yes, yes, yes, please!"

"Winnie? Where's his father?"

"Umm... oh, here he comes." Winnie looks up to see the bearded man trot his horse back.

"May I take your son down to the track for a couple laps?" Bee asks, flicking his headlights.

The horse snorts at the lights. "E-Excuse me?" the man says, sliding off.

"I would like," Bee says, slower, "to take your son to the racetrack."

The rancher scowls at the other boys who are gawking at Bee. "Jon? If he won't be a problem," he says gruffly.

"I don't think he will be," Bumblebee says.

"If he'll be safe." Mr. Jacobson looks over at Winnie who nods, smiling. "When will he be back?"

"Does ten minutes sound okay to you?" Bee asks.

"I can't say no, now, can I?" the man mutters, scratching his beard. "Make him walk back if he misbehaves."

"I will," Bee says, chuckling. "You ready, Jon?"

Winnie laughs as she sees the boy beaming in the seat, nodding and waving at the other boys. Bumblebee pulls onto the road, and starts down to Metroplex, to gain entrance to the track. As he pulls up to the city, Jon stares up at the huge structure.

"Whatcha here for, Bumblebee?" Metroplex asks.

"I want to visit the track," Bee replies. "Is it open?"

"Yep. I'll let them know an IDML mech is on the way."

"Thank you."

...

Mr. Jacobson scratches his head, and looks over at Winnie. "I'll take the boys to the fields - it'll give them something to do. I'll bring you're payment later."

He turns to the boys who have started fighting again. "Okay," Winnie says, "I'll be here. It was a good run today!"

Turning she begins to meander her way in the same direction as Bee.

...

Rolling down a side road to the track, Bee watches the boy within him. Pressing his face against the window, Jon gasps, "It's huge!"

Pulling onto the track, Bee rolls up to the starting line, where another vehicle is waiting.

"Are you ready, Jon?" Bee asks. "I'm gonna go fast."

The boy leans forward and taps his feet excitedly on the floor mats. "On your mark."

...

Winnie mounts Brawny and rides towards the compound. But when she reaches the entrance she pauses, then keeps riding. She approaches the base and ties Brawny up outside.

"I'll be back... hopefully."

Winnie walks into the mainbay where a few mecha walk hurriedly. She starts to turn back several times, but mumbles and continues towards the medbay. She tenses as she jogs to catch up with the bot.

"D-D-Depthcharge?" she asks to his back, her stomach twisting.

"Yes?" the Dark Missions mech growls, looking down at her.

...

The lights above them blink, and then flick to green, and Bee shifts up, tires squealing as his engine revs. He shoots off the starting line, neck and neck with the Mecha beside him. Bee laughs and shifts again, tearing around the first corner. As he hits the straight, he shifts again, and then braces for the turn.

The boy tenses for the next turn as well. "This is awesome!"

"WHOO!" Bee cries, as they hit the sharp corner of the top of the track.

...

Winnie shrinks, then steels herself. "I-I wanted to a-apologize for my actions yesterday."

"Why?" Depthcharge asks gruffly. "You performed admirably."

Winnie steps back, confused. "Th-thank you but... I stabbed you, I..."

"You were ordered to do it. A soldier is no good without the gall to perform orders as given." Depthcharge hands a datapad to another mech, and continues walking. "You would make a Dark Missions officer proud."

When Winnie fails to get a response she looks up at him. "Sir... I haven't been able to find anything from Perceptor on this... but... didn't Bumblebee used to be part of Dark Missions?"

"Yes," Depthcharge says, stopping to stare at Winnie.

"So do you think I... I made him proud?" she inquires, and they pass into a new hall, devoid of any Mecha.

"Bumblebee is no longer a Dark Missions officer!" Depthcharge growls, taking a step towards Winnie. "Hornet abandoned us and the program all but died. I would be embarrassed to call him an officer!"

Winnie's eyes open wide and she leans back. "I-I'm s-sorry... I didn't mean, I was just-" Memories of the dark room flood back in.

Depthcharge's hand flies back before Winnie can see it, and delivers a swift backhand to her face. "Stop apologizing," he snarls, shoving Winnie up against the wall. "It makes you weak."

He releases her, and storms away.

Winnie slides to the floor and stares dazed after the mech. She is shaking from the quick change in demeanor. Something warm drips down her cheek. "I-I'm sorry..."

"No more apologies!" Depthcharge shouts, and turns the corner.

Winnie jumps at the last retort. Standing shakily up, she feels where her cheek is split open. She turns to go back to mainbay, feeling horrible.

"Hey, Winnie! Oh... what happened?" Fort Max asks, catching up to her.

Winnie smiles up at him. "Today I had to run cows. Someone got angry at me."

Back at the track, Jon throws his hands in the air. "YEAH!" he shouts, as they turn into another lap.

...

"Oh dear... do you need a bandage?" Max asks, kneeling to get a better look.

Winnie reaches up and feels around the cut. "Um, probably... I haven't seen it yet." It's short, but she can feel the bruise developing around it. Winnie looks down at her red fingers. "It should be fine... I'll go home and wash it out."

"Oh... kay. I guess if you go right now and take care of it. I don't want that to get infected."

She smiles, making it bleed more. "It won't. Thanks."

"Alright," Max says. "I'll see you later."

"Yep, thanks, Max. And I'm sor... I'm sorry about the other day."

"About what?" Max asks.

"You wouldn't have gotten locked up if I hadn't been there."

"Brig is nice. I only get put in the top level because of... of... Garrus Nine. Too many... triggers. But it's nice. Warm, I'm fed well, and I sleep alone... no more Brawl to worry about."

"Still." She looks towards the door "I'll see ya later?"

"I hope so!" Max booms, standing up.

Winnie smiles and jogs back to her Pa'li, untying him. "Well that was exciting," she says, swinging onto his back.

...

Bumblebee makes the last circuit, pulling off into the exit lane, and he coasts back onto the main road. He is panting, laughing, and trembling with delight.

"That was the BEST THING EVER!" Jon says giggling and leaning on the door. "My brothers are going to kill me! Thank you, Sur."

"Heh-heh, that was awesome," Bee says, pulling back onto the main road.

"See you later, Bumblebee," Metroplex calls as he drives away.

...

Winnie turns Brawny towards home and tries to keep her cheek from dripping. Coming into the compound clearing, she dismounts and lets the horse graze. Picking her way through the smashed wall, she gets to the bathroom, and examines the cut in the mirror.

"Great."

...

Bumblebee rolls down the road, and locates the boy's family. His door pops open, and the harness retracts from Jon's shoulders.

"Thank you so much. Will you visit?" the boy asks, stepping out.

"Of course," Bee says, watching the boy rejoin his family.

Before he can leave Mr. Jacobson walks over. "Do you know where Winnifred is?"

"Uh... I don't know. Why?"

He holds up a satchel he was carrying. "Her pay. We'll probably see her before we leave tomorrow, but I was wondering if you would see her sooner."

"I will. I can deliver it to her." Bumblebee pops open a door so that the bag can be placed inside.

The man sets the bag on the seat. "Thank you," he says, saluting the bot.

Bumblebee slowly shuts his door when the man steps back, and as the door shuts, the bag tips over, dumping out some of the contents. Bee sighs, about to pick them up, but he has to back up so the horses can get by.

He shivers as the bag opens, and little glass marbles roll out, sliding under the passenger seat and into the back. They shift around to the other side, and under the driver's seat. Squealing, Bumblebee's engine fires up with a roar.

...

At the compound Winnie groans as she looks at the cut. The cut is on the lower part if her cheek, and the bruise lines the top of her jaw. It would be hard to hide all day.

...

Bumblebee shifts into reverse, and the marbles slide around even farther. He revs hards, spinning backwards and he turns a one-eighty, taking off towards Winnie's compound.

...

Winnie runs a towel under the sink and tries to wipe the blood away, when she hears Bee's engine. She smiles. "Sounds like someone had a good time."

Bumblebee brakes hard, spinning out in front of the compound. "WINNIE!" he yells, as the marbles roll up and back.

...

Winnie walks out of the compound, suddenly worried. She sees Bumblebee, and almost laughs. His doors fly open, and his hologram flicks on and off from where the marbles scratch over his alt mode.

"GET THEM OUT!" he cries, and a marble shoots out, rolling to Winnie's feet.

Winnie laughs as she picks up the marble. "He remembered! Hang on a sec." She walks over to the open door and crawls in to collect the rest.

"AHH GET THEM OUT, OUT!" he cries, engine screaming, the dials redlining. "THEY... THEY... TICKLE!"

Winnie laughs. "Hmm, I don't know... there's one under the seat... but I guess it can wait a while. I mean I'm really _tired_ from the cows... maybe I'll wait."

"NO-NO-NO PLEASE TAKE THEM OUT! I-I-I'M G-GONNA-A HAVE A-A-AN-" Bumblebee cuts off as a serious of tiny electric arcs criss-cross his frame.

Winnie squeaks and quickly grabs the remaining marbles. "Bee! Cripes! Bumblebee?!"

He shudders, and his systems slowly shut down, gages clicking off, and the interior lights fade.

"Bumblebee? Darn it! Don't do that! Bee! Wake up!" Winnie taps her hand on the dash. "Bee!"

Slowly, after a few moments, his lights come back on, and he groans. "-energy overload," he finishes.

Winnie sits up. "Oh jeez! I d-didn't mean to hurt you." She gets out, quickly dropping the marbles in the grass.

"That was so FUN!" he belts, engine starting up again.

Winnie cracks a smile and pulls her hair over her cheek. "You just about gave me a heart attack," she laughs.

"I c-can tell you that is exactly what j-just happened," Bee stammers, shivering. "You overloaded my spark and nervous sYSTEMS."

He squeals as she fishes under his seat. She pulls the final marble and the bag from under the seat. "I didn't know the bag was going to spill them out," she says, filling the bag back up with the glass bits.

"Dump them again!" Bumblebee says brightly. "Or better yet... sit down and then dump them!"

"Are... are you sure?" She holds the bag close.

"Yeah, sit down and dump them!" he insists.

Winnie hesitantly sits on the edge of the seat and turns the bag upside down, sending a shimmering rain onto the floor mats. Bumblebee shudders under her, and his doors snap shut, as he trembles with tickles.

"AHHH TICKLES AHHH!" he shouts, voice reverberating through the cab. "HOOOO YEAH!"

Winnie smiles and hangs onto the side of the seat.

"WOO HOLD ON!" he cries, and his harness shoots down over Winnie's shoulders.

Shifting into first gear, he jets into the field across from the compound, and then jackknifes, spinning donuts in the dirt. Winnie laughs and watches the world spin. THIS was driving.

As he straightens out, Bumblebee is laughing, voice almost betraying tears. He revs up again, and starts spinning donuts in the other direction, marbles flying around on his floorboards.

"Okay, okay, mister. Don't kill Brawny's lawn too much," she says rolling one to the back with her foot.

That's too much, and he energy overloads again, systems shutting down. Winnie unbuckles the seatbelt and sighs. Picking up the marbles she stuffs them back in with the t-shirt, and she opens the door. "Bee?"

"Mmm..." he groans, systems coming on again. As soon as Winnie is clear, he transforms, sprawled out on the grass, panels flopped every which way, the second ones starting to poke out.

"Cripes, Bumblebee. If I have to drag you home..." She smiles and fidgets with her hair, making sure its over the left side.

He sighs, chest still heaving from being tickled so heavily.


	13. Chapter 13

Winnie sits down beside him and waits for his breathing to slow. "So how'd the ride go?"

"...good."

Winnie reaches into the bag and runs her hands through. It does tickle a bit. The glass spheres feel like water.

"...are you ready to go home?"

"You can go on ahead, I need to finish up here."

"Oh right... that tree..."

"Uh-huh," she says, standing up.

Slowly pulling himself upright, Bee tugs some grass out of his armor. "Let's do it," he says, stretching.

"Naw, you go home, G's probably gonna be wondering about you." She sets the bag by the door, and picks up the axe.

"She can feel me," Bee says softly. "Nothing's awry at home, so I can still help you."

She twists the axe and starts to walk around to the other side of the house. "Bee, I'll be fine, you should be tired from all the cows you helped with today, and babysitting."

"I'll just pull the darn thing out and then you can do what you want. Repair crews will be arriving soon, to clean up most of the rubble."

She tilts her head back, careful to keep her right side facing him. "Really? It's not that bad... and I can still use a lot of it, plus the new wood from the trees."

"I'm not in charge of repair," he says. "They will remove what is no longer usable."

"Thank you, Bumblebee," she says, tilting her head upright again.

"Yep."

He walks across the grass, stepping inside, to look for the tree. Finding it in the hall, he walks over it to where it is outside, the roots not totally ripped from the ground.

"Bee? Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Ask away," he says, investigating the roots.

"How much... how much of what Depthcharge says is just talk?"

"He's actually quite truthful. Some things are a little stretched, but mostly it's information. Why? What has he told you?"

Reaching into subspace, he pulls out a battle axe and lays into the roots, dirt flinging as he severs roots from the ground.

"Probably nothing."

"No, really," Bee says, stopping mid swing, and he turns to Winnie. "What has he told you? I know he can be frightening."

Winnie tugs at her hair and looks down. "Well, it's just... they knew."

"Knew? About Lifeflight?"

"Yeah. I lied to Redbeam, and he knew... not only that it was Lifeflight who was tiny, but how long he had been so small. Plus, he knew how much time was left." She walks over and examines the log. "Depthcharge told me... that he planned to _eliminate_ Lifeflight. To wipe him from existence, and that there would be others." She chips at the wood.

"Winnie, he was saying that when _I_ was his second-in-command for solo missions. This was just another try to execute his plan." Bee lays the axe down, and sits on the tree. "Although I didn't know he knew about the sizes. He tried to start it on me as well, Winnie."

"But... he was so- he did that to you?"

"Yes, Winnie. It wasn't at all uncommon in Dark Missions... I never had the desire to kill my opposition, but I suppose to each his own."

"But... Lifeflight?"

"Depthcharge doesn't care who it is, Winnie. He's as unstable as I am."

"You aren't unstable. And Depthcharge..."

"Winnie, I am classified as highly unstable. Read my file, if you ever get the chance. Depthcharge is the same way."

"Classification isn't the same thing as what kind of person they are... how they react." She tugs her hair back into place.

"No, but classification, at least with our methods, tells quite a bit about the Mecha. We all have some kind of a classification... I just happen to be on the high end of unstable." He stands up, turning back to the log. "And for good reason. Hornet is a huge factor."

Winnie hacks at the wood and is quiet for a moment. "Would he try again?"

"Possibly," Bumblebee says. "He's done it before, so... yeah. Here, down by the roots - then I'll be able to pull it out."

Winnie pulls the axe onto her shoulder and brings her hair over the side of her face before walking to the roots. "Something must have made a nest in the roots. The ground wasn't wet enough to make it fall."

"Huh," Bee says, picking up his axe. "Is your blade sharp?"

"Sharp enough." She feels the axe blade. "After this I'll need to sharpen it, though."

"Can I see it?" he asks, holding out a hand. "If you can manage mine for a few minutes, I will sharpen yours and then you could use it."

Winnie eyes the weapon. "Could I try?" she asks, smiling.

"Go for it," he says, setting the head down on the ground, and angling the handle towards her. "I'll take the other."

Winnie lays hers on the log and takes the axe.

"Good heavens."

She lifts the blade a little ways off the ground and smiles. Picking Winnie's up off the log, Bumblebee tosses it in his hand a couple of times, then sits on the log a ways down, and pull out a stone.

"Can't leave you with a dull blade," he says with a grin. "Go ahead and try mine."

"I'll try." Winnie lifts the axe up, and it lands with a thunk on the tree.

She feels something wet run down her face... must have opened the cut again when she smiled. Quickly wiping it away, she takes another hack at the bark. Sliding the stone along Winnie's much smaller axe, Bee slowly sharpens the blade. Turning it over, he does a repeat on the other side.

"This thing is cool!" Winnie says, easily cutting through some thick wood in a few strokes.

"I love energy blades," Bumblebee says, working on Winnie's axe. "They stay sharp a long time."

As he sees Winnie lift and cut on the log, he smiles. "They look cool, too."

"I'll have to find out how to make one of these," she says, wobbling a bit at the impact.

"It requires a certain metal on Cybertron," Bee says, "but I might be able to bring you some ore so you can play with it."

He holds up Winnie's axe to the light. "Most of those blades existed either before the war, or were forged by the Decepticons. I strip all of the bodies I kill... that's where I got most of mine."

"Hmm..."

"Here, your blade." Bumblebee holds out the axe to Winnie. "You're nearly through, but try this to make sure I got it right."

Winnie sets the battle axe down and takes her small one. "Thanks."

"Welcome," Bee replies, pulling his axe out of the way.

Winnie shifts the blade from hand to hand. In a swift stroke the cuts the final strip of wood. Blowing her hair out of her eyes, she smiles. "That was cool."

"Alright, now move back so I can pull this thing out."

Winnie steps back, and watches the mech work. Kicking the log, Bee unseats it from the earth, and then reaches into subspace, pulling out a pair of ice climbing blades.

He rams them into the trunk about halfway up, and heaves back, tugging the log slowly out of Winnie's hallway. Once the blades are too far down, he rips them out and puts them back, higher up.

"Thanks for this, Bee. By the way, are you hungry? It's way past lunch."

"I'm alright... are you?"

"I can wait." She plays with the grass.

"No, really. Come home with me, and we'll eat, you can be with Lifeflight, and then come back a little later."

Winnie looks over to the tree. "Okay, then."

Making sure the tree is clear of Winnie's house, Bumblebee walks back onto the road, subspacing his axe. "You ready?"

"I think so," she says leaning her ax against the tree. Standing up she looks towards the road. "I wonder what Lifeflight's up to."

Bee smiles. "I don't know... but G's doing something fun. C'mon, let's drive."

Winnie stands up and looks back over. "Something fun?"

"I have no clue," Bumblebee rumbles. "She's laughing and warm."

Transforming, he opens up the driver's side for Winnie. "In you go."

Winnie hops in and smiles. "So I take it you had a good time with Jon?"

"It was... fun," Bee admits quietly. "Not many people have warmed up to me like that."

"Give them a while and they will. Kids are really easy to make friends with if you know what they want to say."

"Huh... I've only met my sparklings, Winnie. They automatically know me."

"Well you did pretty good with the rancher boys. You should have seen their faces when you rode up."

Bee chuckles. "Okay."

As they reach Base Winnie chews the inside of her lip. "We are just gonna bridge back to Tyrus right Bee?"

"Either that or walk through to medbay. Both are easy to do."

"Can we just bridge?"

"Uh, sure," Bee says.

The warp bridge opens up, but Bumblebee freezes. "Wait a minute."

"What?" Winnie's stomach sinks.

"Where's Brawny?" Bumblebee asks. "Did you already send him home?"

"I put him in the field. He needs to have some running room. I'll come back to get him later."

"Did you unsaddle him?"

"Shoot. No... you go on ahead, I'll meet you at your house." Winnie says getting out.

"Get back in, I'll drive you back. You _can_ put Brawny in one of the outer paddocks, if you want."

Winnie sits back down and closes the door. "Are you sure? I don't want him to be a bother."

The warp gate closes, and Bumblebee revs his engine, hologram flickering to life. He glares at Winnie, slowly narrowing his eyes. The doors lock, and he reaches over to Winnie.

Winnie looks over at Bee, confused at the icy stare. "What?" She lifts her hand and makes sure her hair is covering her cheek.

"You injured yourself," he grumbles, reaching over to push her hair aside. "What did you do?"

Winnie looks back at him and holds the hair in place. "It's a cattle run. People always get a little bruised up on a cow day."

"I scanned you when you sat down. That doesn't appear to be from a cow... you didn't have that when I left with Jon."

"So?" Winnie turns her head and looks for the lock.

"Hold still, I'm not going to hurt you," Bee says, "Did someone hit you?"

Winnie leans further away. "It doesn't matter. Let's go get Brawny."

"Has it at least stopped bleeding? No... you're dripping. Lean over here, I'll stop it."

"It's fine, Bee. I'll clean it when I get to the compound." She unlocks the door, only to be locked in again.

"No, lean over here. I have a styptic pen that will do it just fine."

"Bumblebee, it's fine," she says keeping her hand in its place.

"You'd think I was pulling teeth... come here, I'll _just_ dab on it. I'm not going to do anything but that. Blood is hard to get out of shirts... and I don't want unnecessary fluids on my seats."

Winnie sighs and leans over, pulling her hair out of the way so the cut shows, but most of the bruise is still unseen. Pulling the chalky white stick out of subspace, the hologram stretches over, moving Winnie's head to the side, so he can see the cut better.

"It looks okay..." he says, moving her cheek slightly. "I don't think you will need any stitches or stuff like that. This is gonna feel like fire."

"Yay," she groans.

Hopefully the bruise is covered. Touching the pen to his tongue lightly, Bumblebee dabs her cut, carefully covering the inch-long split.

Winnie bites her lip as it begins to sting. "Thanks."

"Yep," he says, pushing her hair to the side. "That's one nasty bruise. I think I might have some cream for it."

Winnie quickly covers the finger-shaped bruises. "It'll be okay. Let's get Brawny."

Sitting back in the seat, Bee subspaces the pen. "You wanna drive?"

Winnie looks over at the wheel. "Um..."

"Uh... whoops, here." Fishing back into subspace, Bumblebee pulls out the keys. "I rarely need keys... go for it!"

"This isn't a good idea, Bee. I'll just mess up."

"Naw, here. That's why you practice... starter is next to the wheel."

Winnie takes the keys and puts them in the ignition. She puts her foot on the brake and turns the key. "Are... are you sure?"

"Don't forget the clutch," he rumbles. "I'll walk you through it."

"Okay." Winnie shrinks behind the wheel and looks around for the clutch.

"It's right next to the brake," he says, pointing down at Winnie's feet. "It goes, right to left, gas, brake, and clutch. If the foot clutch is too awkward for you, there is something on the wheel with a 'C' on it, and that will act as a clutch as well."

"Okay." Winnie puts her foot on the clutch and her hand on the key.

"Now, push in the clutch and the brake at the same time, and then turn the key."

Winnie looks around the wheel and makes sure her feet are right. Pressing down she turns the key and looks over at Bee. He shivers as the engine starts, and a smile warms his face. Nodding, and settles back.

"Don't forget the seat belt."

They begin to slide down her shoulders. Winnie latches the belt and looks back. "Uh..."

"You're doing fine," he says. "Hands off the key, and take your foot off the brake. You know where the stick is... I don't have the pattern on it because my gearbox is kinda weird, but pull it over towards you as far as you can."

Lifting her foot off the brake she pulls the stick over.

"Yep, now push up."

She leans forward and shifts it up.

"There. In gear. Now, put your foot on the gas and _lightly_ push down. Not too far - there's a readout in the dash that counts RPMs, go till about... one, I suppose. Till the dial hits one."

Winnie barely pushes down on the gas and the dial moves up a tiny bit.

"Little more... little more... there. Start lifting your foot off the clutch and put your hands on the wheel."

Winnie closes her quivering hands around the wheel. Lifting her foot, Bee lurches forward. "More gas," he says, "you're doing great. First time on a stick?"

Winnie bites her lip and nods. "Bee this isn't... I'll just mess up."

"Nope, you're doing great," he says. "Gas. You're moving, see?"

Winnie looks back up as they crawl forward. "Uhh..."

"Take your foot off the clutch, and press down on the gas."

She presses down slightly. They begin to roll forwards a little faster, and Bee gingerly directs them towards the road. "You've got this."

Winnie looks around, making sure she doesn't run into anything.


	14. Chapter 14

As they drive slowly, painfully, back to the compound Winnie looks quickly over at the holoform. "Are you going to tell G about the cut when we get back?"

"Why should I?" Bumblebee asks. "I've already taken care of it... I can't guarantee what Lifeflight will do, though."

"I just don't want them asking about it. Thank you." They are quiet for a moment, and then Winnie asks, "How do you know?"

"How do I know what?"

"When something is up."

"With G?"

"With anyone."

"Uh... I think you need to rephrase your question," he says. "I know what's up with G because I'm directly bonded to her, so everything she does I have a general idea of. About the others... please explain."

"You just... I don't know... never mind." She looks out the window and pulls into the compound clearing.

"What? Now I'm curious."

She stops and takes him out of gear. "You know what people are thinking about. When you talk to people you just know what is wrong. You... I don't know." She pulls the keys out of the ignition and sets them on the dash.

"Winnie... I don't know. That's just how I am. I can't help but notice things like that... when you've done what I've done, like fight in the Pits... it just comes to you. I don't know. It's how I am."

Winnie looks over and opens the door. "Sorry." She climbs out of the car and looks around.

"I'm not," Bumblebee says. "It's a helpful skill."

"No, I mean... I didn't mean to pry." She turns and walks over to the fenced in field, where Brawny is.

"Ask me questions, Winnie. It's nice to talk to someone."

Winnie walks over and leads Brawny out. "Can you hold him for a bit? I lost my cloak in the woods during the storm and need to get it."

"Yep."

Transforming, Bumblebee stands up and takes the reins. "Thanks," she says before turning and jogging out into the woods.

Winnie picks her way through the trees. She didn't notice the other night, but debris litters the floor. Birds chirp in the sunshine, and as she nears the path, she took she sees cloth flapping in the breeze. Her cloak is still hanging on the bush and she yanks it down and heads back to the clearing.

...

Bumblebee watches Winnie walk back out of the woods, and he proffers the reins to her. "I see you have a couple of tears in that."

Winnie takes the reins and sticks her hand through one. "Not the first time, I'll fix it." She throws it over the Pa'li's back.

"I'll follow you and open the warp bridge," Bee says, transforming again.

" 'Kay." Winnie swings onto Brawn's back. She kicks him and trots to the road.

Bumblebee rolls out, following her back to Base. The warp gate opens, and Bee watches as Winnie disappears through it.

...

The horse doesn't break in his stride as she rides him to the stables. Bee follows her to the stable, and as she pulls the gear off, he leads brawny out into one of the pastures behind the stable.

"Remember," he says, "Number three. Brawny is in number three."

"Thank you!" Winnie calls after him, hefting the saddle onto one arm.

"Here, give me the saddle. I'll go put it back - you go inside and see what G's up to."

"Thanks," Winnie says, laying it to the side while he walks back. Turning, she jogs up to the porch.

Opening the porch door, she is thrust into a warm, baked-goods aroma.

"W-Winnie!" Lifeflight exclaims, sitting on the counter, covered in flour.

"Oh good, you're back," G says. "Come over here and be my guinea pig."

Winnie flicks her hair over her cheek and smiles. "Sure thing. What happened to you, Lifeflight?" she asks, taking off her muddy boots.

"I mixed," he says. "Come try! G can bake."

Winnie leaves her boots by the door and walks over. "Smells good." She pokes the floured medic. He smiles and looks up at G.

"Magic," she says, holding out a plate.

"What's happening- BROWNIES!"

"And blondies," G says, laughing. "No offense, Winnie."

Winnie swipes one of them and laughs. "Like I would." She takes a bite and her eyes widen.

"These are heavenly," she says with her mouth full.

"You bet," Bumblebee says, pulling a yellow one off the plate.

"Who wants some lunch?" G asks. "Any requests?"

"Food please!" she says, sitting next to Lifeflight.

"Sandwich? Soup? Something else?" G asks, looking up at Bee, then to Winnie.

"Energon," Bumblebee and Lifeflight chime, and G looks back at Winnie.

"Whatever is fine with me. Did you peeps already eat?"

"Just batter. The only one who's eaten is Oneshot because he was impatient. So... what you up for?"

"Um... soup? Anything is fine with me," she says, watching Lifeflight's rotors flick.

"It's your choice," G says. "Lunch usually goes pretty light around here with everyone but me."

"What would you like, then?"

Rolling her eyes, G shifts her stance. "Anything you'll eat, dude. Grilled cheese, ramen, energon, sandwich, tuna sandwich... anything ringin' a bell?"

"Ooh, grilled cheese?"

"Yep. Cheddar or Jack?"

"Cheddar, please. You want me to do anything?"

"Sit down."

Winnie watches G prepare the sandwich. "What else has been happening?"

"Nothin'," G says. "Here."

"I'll j-join you," Lifeflight says, and Bumblebee transfers him from the counter to the island.

"So, how'd your day go?" she asks, taking a bite.

"Great!" Lifeflight says, "A-Although y-you missed-d proper breakfast. "D-Did you get the trees o-out?"

"Sorry about that. Yep, I got the trees out... cows 'n' trees, trees 'n' cows." She wipes some of the flower off his foot.

"That-t's good," he says. "N-Now the rebuilding-g can start."

"Probably tomorrow, I'll start. These are good brownies."

"It's all G," Lifeflight says, "I-I c-can't-t bake."

"Don't give me all the credit," G says. "You mixed."

"Wh-What you told me t-to,' Lifeflight says, looking over his shoulder.

"Well it takes both to make a good brownie." Winnie says finishing up hers. Lifeflight smiles and his rotors flick.

"One cheese, grilled," G says, setting down a plate in front of Winnie. "Milk or energon?"

"Milk please. Thank you Gil."

"Yep."

Pouring a glass, G slides it over to Winnie, and starts in on her own sandwich.

"Thanks." She looks to Lifeflight. "So, Mr. Brownie-Mixer..."

"Yes?" Lifeflight asks, looking up at Winnie.

"What are you doing after lunch?" she says, taking a bite from her sandwich.

"N-Nothing that I know of," Lifeflight says. "D-Did you want t-to do something?"

"I dunno..."

"There's a creek a little ways down from the stable. You could walk down there," Bee says. "It's cool and secluded."

Winnie's ears turn a little pink at the last word. "Neat." She takes another bite.

"C-Could we g-go there?" Lifeflight asks, perking up. "A creek! Th-There must b-be a lot of flowers-s down there."

"Sure. Would you want to come, Gil? Bee?"

"I'm going to sleep, Winnie. G?"

"I've got to take Blade to medbay for a booster... Sunray is here with the others. I don't know, maybe. But you two go ahead. There are no creatures except deer around here, guaranteed."

"That's good to know." She smiles and looks over at Lifeflight.

"Y-Yeah... c-can I h-have a bite?"

"Sure." Winnie breaks off a piece of warm, cheesy, bread and sets it on the edge of the plate. Reaching forward, he picks up the piece, monstrous in his hands, and takes a bite, rotors flicking up in surprise.

"This is good!" he says, eyes wide.

"See? If you let me make food for you this would happen more often," she says, poking his shoulder.

Lifeflight takes another bite, and G sets a shot glass of energon down next to him.

"Th-Thank you," he murmurs, and Bumblebee sits down beside Winnie.

Lifeflight slowly consumes most of the bread piece, and yawns when he is finished, just a small bit remaining.

"You wanna stick around here?" she asks, finishing her own lunch.

"You can always go down later," Bumblebee says.

Lifeflight yawns again. "I-I think-k I have n-no choice."

He rubs an eye, smudging some of the flour. "Wh-Where will you g-go, Winnie? W-Will you stay?"

"Yeah. If you want me to I mean.."

"Y-Yeah," he mumbles, sitting down on the counter and leaning over his knees. "D-Don't leave..."

"Okay...I won't." She smiles, and picks him up gently.

Lifeflight sighs as Winnie picks him up, and she holds him next to her chest, he leans against her, feeling the warmth through her shirt.

"What day of his size change is this?" G asks. "Three?"

Winnie nods. "Yeah."

"Wow. Well, three down, four to go, at least. Where you guys gonna crash? I have a book or three that you could sit down with too."

"Um... couch? Is that alright?" she whispers as the little mech falls asleep against her.

"Sure," G says softly. "You gonna read or sleep?"

"You know I can't sleep," she says, smiling. "If you have something extra to read, that would be good."

"Yep... what do you want? Got plenty of reading material if you want to check out the library before crashing."

"I'll check it out. Thanks, G." She says and turns towards the library.

Winnie walks in and nods at Shield who is sitting in one of the chairs. Walking over to one of the bookshelves, she runs her free hand over the spines. She chooses one and slides it out, smiling.

"What did you pick?" Shield asks, not even looking up from his book.

"Robin Hood."

"I read that," he murmurs. "Enjoy."

"I have too. And I will," she whispers. "Enjoy your book, too."

"Thank you," he says, shifting in his seat.

Winnie walks from the library and sits slowly down in the squishy couch. Leaning back she props the book open on her knee. She lays Lifeflight in the crook of her arm, careful not to jostle him. His rotors flick gently and he smiles.

Bumblebee walks in, and sits down opposite Winnie. He slides down, panels facing the ceiling, and is soon snoring lightly. Winnie smiles and shakes her head, and starts to read.

Winnie reads on as Lifeflight sleeps, slowly curling deeper into her side. He barely wakes up when she shifts positions, and settles back into a warmer spot against her side. Bumblebee doesn't move - his panels twitch every now and then. Winnie smiles down at him and her stomach flutters when he snuggles into her shirt. Watching his rotors flick she pulls the arm holding him closer.

Lifeflight moans and his hand wraps around a piece of her shirt. Winnie leans back her book and rubs his arm with her thumb. "Shh..."

Lifeflight shivers at her touch, and his eyes open.

"W-W-Winnie?" he whispers.

"Go back to sleep.."

"Wh-Where... wh-where a-a-am I?"

"You're okay. You're at G's house. Go back to sleep," she whispers.

"D-Depthch-charge..."

"No, he's not here. You're okay now." Lifeflight rubs and eye, and looks around, then up at Winnie. "O-Okay."

He shimmies up her side, until he is curled up over her heart. "I-I can hear y-your heartbeat-t."

Winnie smiles and feels her ears get warm. "Mmm..." Lifeflight mumbles, falling back asleep.

Winnie laughs quietly, careful not to bump the bot and continues reading.

...

A half an hour later, Bumblebee stirs, and rolls off the couch, crashing onto the floor. He groans, reaches up and grabs a pillow, then settles back in. Winnie looks over and laughs silently. Leaning her cheek against the back of the couch she feels the finger sized bruises grow sore. She looks down at Lifeflight. This won't happen again.

As Winnie shifts again, Lifeflight's hand tightens on her shirt. Winnie tilts the book back and looks down at him. She would just close her eyes for a minute. That wouldn't be so bad...

...

A voice starts to find its way into Winnie's sleepy mind. "Winnie? W-Winnie?"

"Mm... five minutes. Ma, five minutes..."

"W-Winnie!"

Winnie's eyes open at Lifeflight's cry. "What's wrong?"

"I-I waited as long-g as I could," he mumbles, sliding down her chest to her hand. "P-Please take-ke me to th-the washroom."

"S-Sorry." Winnie swings her legs around and the book falls to the floor. She picks Lifeflight up and shuffles quickly into the bathroom. She sets him on the edge of the sink and walks back out.

"C-Call when you're done," she says closing the door behind her.

Winnie walks out into the house, and spots a clock. Eight o'clock... at night?! Where is everyone?

"Hello?" she calls softly into the house.

It is all quiet. Where did everyone go?

"W-Winnie?"

"Yeah. Are ya done?" She turns back to the door.

"Yeah."

Winnie opens the door slowly. "Lifeflight... you didn't happen to see where everyone went did you?"

"Bumblebee and G-G were called t-to Base, and S-Sunray is in bed with th-the sp-sparklings. I-I'm s-sorry-y I w-woke you... I-I was afraid to leap off-f the c-couch or take off of y-you."

"I shouldn't have fallen asleep..."

"Y-You needed the rest," Lifeflight says, swinging his legs on the edge of the counter. "I-I st-still-l can't-t reach th-the faucet."

Winnie reaches over and turns on the faucet for a moment.

"Th-Thank you," he says, and Winnie gently picks him up.

Winnie walks out and closes the door. "Wait," she says, freezing, "Do... do you know when the crazy-energy-tear-thing starts?"

"N-No," Lifeflight says, "B-But we ought to find a p-place and stay in it."

"Well..." Winnie takes a cautious step forward and stops.

"B-Bumblebee, when does the fabric ch-change location?" Lifeflight asks through his com.

He receives an answer, and looks to Winnie. "About ten... s-so we have time."

Winnie exhales and walks to the couch. "So how long were you waiting?" she asks turning on the lamp.

"L-Long enough," he mumbles. "B-But it's-s okay."

He smiles up at Winnie, and his rotors flick. "I-I'm glad you stayed."

"I'm sorry. Wish we could've gone to the creek..."

"There's-s always t-tomorrow," Lifeflight says.

"Yeah," she says smiling.

Setting Lifeflight on the top of the couch, Winnie sighs. "Wh-What will y-you do-o now?" Lifeflight asks. "Shower?"


	15. Chapter 15

"I don't know... I'll probably shower in a bit," Winnie says, sitting on the couch and leaning back.

Lifeflight scoots over so that he can rest on top of her head. "Better d-do it before ten-n."

Winnie laughs, "I stink that bad? You're the one who's covered in flour." She pokes his powdered belly.

Lifeflight giggles and holds onto her finger as she pulls it back. "I-I'm not saying-g that," he says. "Well... th-that's-s a lie. I-I am t-terrible at-t telling s-stories... I don't know. I-It seems like something-g to be d-done at night."

Winnie sets him on her knee. "I doubt you're that bad. But you're right about the night part."

"I c-cannot lie," he mumbles. "It h-hurts... I can t-tell bedtime stories, though."

"That's good. It doesn't feel good with me either... so, let's hear a story," she says, picking him back up and leaning back.

"I-It's not bedtime yet," he says, poking her lightly. "Shower, a-and when you're in b-bed-d I'll tell you."

"Fine then." She smiles. "Do you want a towel to de-flour yourself?" she asks, standing up.

"I-If you put me back i-in the sink, I'll wash," he says, looking up at Winnie.

"O-Okay," she says walking to the bathroom again. She sets him on the lip of the sink and turns on the water. "That good?"

"Yep," he says. "Warm... mmm..."

Winnie turns and hops behind the shower curtain, turning the water on for herself.

"And love, such a silly game we play..."

Winnie smiles and listens to him sing.

"Oh, like a summer's day in May

What is love, what is love?

I just wanted to be loved..."

Winnie hums along quietly as he sings and smiles even wider.

"Hmm... I... I can feel it in your kiss...

It just gives me tender bliss, what is love?"

Winnie stops and listens to the words.

"Whoops!" Lifeflight says. "I-I can't say that... I... I haven't k-kissed you. Whoops..."

Winnie feels her foot slide on the slick floor. She squeaks involuntarily and thumps against the wall.

"A-Are you alright?" Lifeflight asks. "P-Please don't-t fall."

"I-I'm fine," she says, voice jumping a little higher.

"O-Okay," Lifeflight responds.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you stop," Winnie says, standing back up.

"O-Oh," Lifeflight says, "I didn't kn-know-w you-ou l-listen-n to m-me."

"I... sorry... I didn't - I can leave, I... er... I like you singing," she finishes quietly.

"N-No..." Lifeflight says. "P-P-Please don't-t leave-ve."

He clears his throat lightly, and starts again.

"I just wanted to be loved... love,

who can tell me I am wrong?

I just think that I am strong."

Winnie listens and stands in the shower, not moving, just listening to his voice.

"I just wanted to be loved."

Winnie bites her lip, and says nothing.

"W-Winnie?"

"Hmm?" she responds, watching the water run over her hands.

"I love you."

Winnie looks at the shower curtain. Her mouth is open like she is going to say something, but an odd croaking noise is all that comes out.

"Scrap," Lifeflight grumbles, sitting down roughly in the sink. "I-I-I-I'm s-s-sor-rry."

"N-n-no... I... I... I-I... I..." Winnie feels her heart thump against her chest and her head spins.

"I-I-It's o-okay," Lifeflight mumbles.

"Lifeflight... I... I..." She puts her face in her hands as she tries to speak.

The medic is silent. "Y-Your core temperature is e-elevating," Lifeflight states. "S-Sit down before you p-pass out."

Winnie shakily puts her soaking shorts and shirt back on. "L-L-L-Lifeflight... I-" Her foot slides and she hits the ground.

"W-WINNIE!" Lifeflight exclaims, and he is up and out of the sink, transforming in a split second to fly across the short distance to her location.

He transforms, landing on the floor and he pulls himself into the shower, being pelted with water.

"Winnie!" he cries, seeing blood coming from her face.

Winnie pushes herself up on her hands. "I-It's a-alright. I'm f-fine."

"You're bleeding!" he says, reaching up to push the hair away. "What... what happened?"

Winnie sits up and feels her head. "I-I fell... I guess." Blood comes away on her fingers.

"Y-You're hurt," he says.

He reaches up to help, but just slides back down her wet clothes to the floor. That seems to be the last straw.

"Primus FRAG why am I-I so GLITCHING _small?_" he shouts, tiny voice echoing in the shower.

He paces back and forth, eventually kicking the wall. "I HATE TH-THIS! I CAN'T even h-help _you_."

He stumbles back, and sits down against her hip, knees brought up and head buried in his arms. Winnie sits up and shuts the water off. She picks up the little mech and brings him close.

"N-No, Lifeflight. See I'm fine. I-It's okay," she says, trying to smile, but opens the cut on her cheek back up.

"You're bleeding," he says staunchly. "Please r-remove y-yourself from the shower s-so I can stop i-it."

Winnie tilts her head, confused at the bot's change in tone. "Um, o-okay." She hauls herself up onto the lip of the tub and reaches for some toilet paper.

"Give i-it to me," he says, holding out a hand.

"Uh..." Winnie hands him the wad and pushes her hair back.

She slides down to the floor, so she is eye level with Lifeflight. He reaches out, a hand gripping her hair so he won't fall, and starts pressing the tissue to the bleeding cut.

"Who h-hit you?" he asks, watching the tissues' color darken with red blood.

"I just did something stupid."

"I-I can see that," he says, inspecting the bruises. "This w-will burn."

He pulls out a tiny styptic pen and pulls the tissues back to apply it. He licks the length of it, and rubs up and down the cut.

Winnie closes her eyes. "I'm sorry..."

Lifeflight sighs, and finishes with the cut. "Th-There. The bleeding is stopped-d. Please p-put me back in th-the sink - I have blood o-on my hands."

Winnie nods and picks him up. Setting him on the counter her fingers brush his rotors. She turns on the water and sits back on the tub. Lifeflight shivers as her fingers encounter his rotary assembly, but he sticks his hands into the water anyway, trying not to slide back into the sink.

As Winnie sits shakily down she puts her elbows on her knees. She puts her head in one hand and feels the bump starting to form.

"I th-think I'm washed," he says after a few minutes.

Winnie nods and stands up. She shuts the water off and holds out a hand for Lifeflight. Lifeflight steps onto her hand, dripping water. She walks over to the towel rack and hands the little bot one edge of the towel.

He dries, and struggles with his rotors, with which he eventually gives up on. Looking up at Winnie, he shakes his head.

"You're s-soaked," he says.

"You two almost out of the shower?" G calls from outside. "It's nearing nine forty-five."

Winnie sets him on the sink and dries his rotors gently.

"Th-Thank you," Lifeflight says. "G? Winnie needs something dry to wear."

"On it."

Winnie finishes his rotors and then dries her hair. When she's finished, she folds it back up and sets it on the counter.

"Here's your clothes," G says, opening the door to give them to Winnie. "Don't forget, go to bed before ten."

Winnie smiles and nods taking the clothes. Shutting the door, G leaves them again. Lifeflight sits on the edge of the counter and waits for Winnie. She steps behind the curtain and quickly changes. She folds the waterlogged stuff up and sets it on the edge before coming out. She walks to the sink and holds her hand out for Lifeflight.

Lifeflight climbs up onto her hand silently, and rides with her out to the main part of the lower level. Bumblebee stands behind the island counter, watching them carefully. Winnie smiles and waves at him, before walking up the stairs.

Winnie walks over and turns on the lamp. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Lifeflight says, sliding off her hand onto the bed, and he crawls up into his blanket nest, turning over so he doesn't face Winnie.

Winnie sits on the edge of the bed and looks down at her hands as Lifeflight slowly falls asleep. She hears his breathing even out, and whispers, "I-I love y-you. I love you Lifeflight."

Winnie reaches over and turns off the lamp. She pulls back the sheet and sees Lifeflight's rotors flick. Laying down she whispers, "I'm sorry..."

...

About midway through the night, Lifeflight wakes, from another nightmare. Unsure of where he was, slowly he climbs out of the nest, wondering about just who's bed he was on. He backs up, and bumps into Winnie's face, which starts to bleed a little _again_.

Winnie wakes up when she feels something wet slide down her face. She sits up and opens her eyes. "Wha-?"

"W-W-Winnie!" Lifeflight cries, stumbling back and sitting down on the bed surface. "Where a-a-are we?!"

She rubs her face and smears blood across her cheek. "We're at G's house... are you alright?"

"N-N-No," he whimpers. "I-I'm s-s-sorry I got-t mad at you."

"It's alright. I'm the one who's sorry," she says leaning back.

"D-Don't leave!" Lifeflight cries, rushing forward to hang onto her shirt.

His little frame trembles, and he wipes his eyes with a hand. "I-I didn't-t m-m-mean to scare you-ou away w-w-with what-t-t I said."

"Shh... I'm not leaving," she says, picking him up. "You... you didn't scare me."

She sets him in her lap, and he curls against her flannel shirt, still shaking. She brushes his rotors. "I'm sorry. It's alright." She leans over and turns the lamp back on.

"N-No it's not!" he whimpers. "N-Now you kn-know..."

"Lifeflight... is that a bad thing?" She looks down at the shaking bot.

He looks up into her eyes, and cocks his head. Winnie bites her lip and looks down at the sheets, wiping at her cheek.

"Do... d-do you..." Lifeflight asks.

Winnie turns her head and nods, hair falling over her face.

"W-Winnie..." Lifeflight murmurs, and then pushes against her. "I... I... I love you."

She looks back over at him and brings up her arm and hugs him. "I-I lo-ve you too..." she croaks.

As she releases Lifeflight, he pulls his knees up, practically curling into a ball. She sits back and looks down at her hand. "I'm sorry..."

"N-No..." Lifeflight says, looking back up at Winnie. "I'm... so... happy!"

He looks up at Winnie with a bright smile. "Y-You have no i-i-idea-a how long I've b-been waiting-g to tell you."

She smiles back at him. "I think I have an idea."

"What?" he asks.

"An idea of how long... you... you've wanted to tell me, I mean..."

"Oh," he says, crossing his legs. "How... how long?"

"Not as long as I have," she says, poking him gently.

Lifeflight blushes and his rotors flick up and back. "R-Really?" he asks quietly.

Winnie nods and fiddles with the edge of the sheet. "Y-You have blood _everywhere,_" he says.

Winnie looks down and feels blood drip onto her wrist. "Great." She rolls up her sleeve past her elbow and wipes away some of it. "Hopefully it won't get on the sheets," she says, holding her arm above the bed.

"I think it's t-too late now-w," he says. "But that c-can be remedied. L-Let's see... well, still too early to get up-p. I have s-some supplies th-that might help."

"You do?" she asks wiping her face again.

"I-I'm a medic," he says, standing up. "I always-s have sup-plies."

Winnie grins, making the blood trickle out a little more. "Thank goodness for that."

Lifeflight reaches into subspace, and finds some rags... but they're tiny. "Well... I d-didn't expect-t it to be tiny," he says. "D-Do you h-have anything?"

"Hmm..." Winnie picks up the little medic and sets him to the side. She walks over to where her boots sit and reaches in, pulling out a sock.

"I s-suppose-se that will-l work."

Winnie smiles. "Best I can come up with." She wipes the blood from her arm and goes to sit back down.

"Alright," he says, "hold-d it tight-t to that c-cut."

"Yes Sir," she says, rolling it up and swinging her legs back onto the bed. Lifeflight sits down beside Winnie, and watches her hold the rag. "I don't l-like being s-so small," he sighs.

"It'll be alright. You're halfway through... but you are really cute, though." She smiles.

He smiles at her comment, but sighs again. "B-But I cannot-t do anything-g proper," he reasons. "Y-You have n-no idea what-t it is l-like to be so d-dependent."

She pulls her knees up and sets the bot on her left kneecap. "No... no I don't. But it's going to be alright. 'Kay?"

"Okay."

She smiles. "We never got to have story time."

"Hmmm..." Lifeflight says. "I might-t be a-able to fix that. W-Would you like m-me to tell-l you one?"

Winnie nods her head, and sinks into the propped-up pillow. "If you want, I mean."

"S-Sure," Lifeflight says. "H-How about something-g... old?"

Winnie nods and watches him intently. "O-Okay," he says, settling against her.

"Wh-When I was young, I did-d have s-some time to be a 'sparkling'... a-and the mech w-who made me told me a few st-stories."

Winnie leans her head back and listens.

"H-He always told-d me about one m-mech who would visit the lab, with an empty c-cube of high-grade a-and a turbocat. He thought that th-the mech was a drunkard, until a day c-came along when he didn't arrive... b-but his cat did."

"Th-The professor f-followed the cat out, and i-it led him out i-into the city. Th-The cat brought him to a run-down building, b-but-t inside was a masterpiece. T-Turns out the mech w-was a weapons-maker, and h-he created m-many of the w-weapons that were used d-during the war... and things-s that weren't weapons, as w-well."

"I-Inside was a b-box of... well, toys, exactly. B-But they were m-masterpieces-s. The m-mech had passed out-t in a tub of oil and p-perished, but th-the weapons were put t-toward the Autobot cause. Th-The box of toys-s... was given to me."

Winnie's eyes widen. "Really?" she whispers.


	16. Chapter 16

Reaching into subspace, he pulls out a little sphere, and he turns it over in his hands. "Th-This one was my f-favorite."

He presses a part of it, and a hologram lights up the room.

"Cybertron," he says, looking around at the pictures. "I-In the Golden Age."

Winnie sits up and stares, mouth open, around the room. "My gosh..."

"I l-lived..." Lifeflight manipulates the sphere, and it turns the picture. "Here. Iacon."

Winnie scootches closer, careful not to knock Lifeflight over. "That's..." she trails off and gazes at the hologram.

"A l-long time ago," he whispers, shivering. "I m-miss my old h-home."

She holds him closer. "Would you go back?"

"I don't know," he says. "Y-You're here... I don't think I w-would, now. A few vorns a-ago... maybe... i-it st-still hurts t-to see it, th-though."

"I'm sorry."

"D-Don't be," he says, "you're h-here."

Winnie looks down and brushes his rotors. Lifeflight shivers again and sighs. "H-How do y-you always m-make me feel better?" he asks quietly, leaning back into her fingers.

"Well... I haven't been doing that good of a job lately."

"Y-You're doing it-t now," he says softly, as her fingers rub a little into his back. "Th-That's all I count."

Winnie smiles. "Thanks."

"Has y-your cut st-stopped bleeding?"

Winnie pulls back the sock and feels it. "Yeah... just about."

"G-Good," Lifeflight says, yawning.

"You better get back to sleep," she says, shifting back.

"Y-You too," Lifeflight says, curling up against her.

"Hm... that's funny." She pulls the sheets halfway up.

"Wh-What?" he asks softly.

"Doubt I could go back to sleep now," she says with a quiet smile

"I c-can't help...it," he mumbles, yawning again.

"No... you go back to sleep."

"Oh... 'kay."

Winnie pulls his blanket over him and watches the hologram as he falls asleep. After a while his rotors flick. Winnie looks up at the pictures of Cybertron. "If you could go home..."

...

Winnie's eyes seemed to have just started to droop when she feels Lifeflight sit up.

"W-Winnie?"

"Mmm?" she mumbles.

"Good morning."

"Mornin' " she says rubbing her eye. "How'd you sleep?"

"L-Like a... hmm... Bumblebee earlier."

Winnie smiles. "Nice."

"You?"

"Didn't sleep... I think."

"O-Oh dear... y-you could go b-back to sleep, i-if you want."

"Naw. It's fine."

"Are you two up?" a voice asks from the other side of the door.

"Yeah," Winnie calls. "Morning!"

"It sure is..."

Winnie leans back and stretches. "Someone's in a good mood."

"Oneshot was up all night... we didn't sleep."

"Ouch."

"Yep. You gettin' up?"

"Yeah," she says swinging her legs out and picking Lifeflight up. She yawns, walking over to open the door.

"Perfect," Bumblebee says, once he sees Winnie. "Your turn."

He hands Oneshot to her, the sparkling looking up into her eyes brightly. She sits Lifeflight quickly on her shoulder, and takes the sparkling. "Um, okay."

"Sparkling," Lifeflight says, eyes wide. "Oh my."

"_I'm_ going back to bed."

"Okay... are the others awake yet?" she asks, cradling the baby.

"No."

"Thanks! Have a nice nap," she calls softly, as Bee turns around.

"Yeah."

Lifeflight is carefully watching the sparkling, and he leans over Winnie's shoulder, hanging on tightly so he doesn't fall off.

"Sparkling..."

Winnie looks over at the bot and smiles. "Let's go downstairs so you can play." She turns and walks to the stairs.

"I th-think Oneshot s-still crawls... at least I think h-he crawls."

"Oh, so you're a baby-baby, aren't ya?" she says, tickling the sparkling's belly.

Oneshot coos and kicks his feet, doorwings fluttering. Winnie smiles and laughs as she reaches the bottom steps.

"Sp-Sparklings are m-my _favorite_."

"You're in luck then," she says, sitting down on the couch.

She picks Lifeflight up off her shoulder and sets him on one knee, and switching Oneshot to the other.

Lifeflight watches Oneshot closely, and smiles. "I never got to d-deliver Oneshot."

"Really?" She wipes away some drool dripping down his chin as he gurgles.

"Yeah... h-he was a miscarriage... G reasoned-d with the same beings wh-who sent her b-back to trade Light for Oneshot."

Winnie looks over as Oneshot grabs onto her finger. "Oh... I... I really have no clue about any of this, I... um..."

"Wh-What? Taking care o-of a sparkling?"

"Yeah..."

"They're s-surprisingly e-easy," Lifeflight says. "Y-You've got it right for now... make sure you support-t him, and w-watch the doorwings. A-Anything that puts any m-more pressure on th-them than laying on his back will-l make him cry."

"Thanks," Winnie says, bouncing Oneshot a bit.

The sparkling giggles and reaches out, petting her hair. Winnie takes a chunk and tickles his nose with it. His eyes cross slightly, and he sneezes, doorwings flaring up. He looks up at Winnie, and his tiny eye ridges furrow.

Winnie giggles. "Bless you." Then she looks to Lifeflight and smiles.

Oneshot studies Winnie's face, and cocks his head.

"He i-is realizing you a-aren't his carrier," Lifeflight says. "St-Stroke his doorwings."

Winnie reaches around and gently brushes his panels. "Really?"

"Yep."

At Winnie's touch, Oneshot closes his eyes, and the panels instinctively open further.

"P-Perfect touch," Lifeflight says softly, watching Winnie.

"Not even." Winnie says smiling.

"H-He seems to like it," Lifeflight says, watching Oneshot.

"That's only because he's a polite baby. Aren't ya?" she asks, tickling his feet.

Oneshot curls his toes and his eyes open, and he reaches down, touching Winnie's hand. He chirps and the panels flick, and when he is done with Winnie's hand, reaches for Lifeflight.

Winnie looks up and puts her hand gently over Oneshot's. "Careful.."

"H-He's hungry," Lifeflight says. "I-I hope-pe he's n-not gonna st-start to-"

Oneshot looks at Winnie, and frowns, and reaches up for her.

"...cry," Lifeflight finishes.

Winnie holds his and and coos back as his lip quivers. "Lifeflight? Do sparklings just eat normal energon or...?" She plays peek-a-boo, trying to buy time.

"No, but I'm sure th-there's some low-grade i-in the f-fridge."

"Cool."

She holds a hand out for him and holds Oneshot in the other. Lifeflight clambers up onto Winnie's hand, and smiles, looking up at her.

She smiles back and stands up. "So how are you feelin'? You hungry?" she asks, walking towards the kitchen.

"I am... and Oneshot d-definitely is."

Winnie looks over at the baby who starts to fuss. "Shh, shh. Just a bit." She sets Lifeflight on the counter and walks to the fridge.

"I-If there's some in there, s-stick it on th-the stove to h-heat it up," Lifeflight says.

"Mama?"

Sunray walks down the stairs, holding Raybeam's hand, and followed by Blade.

"Nope, me again," she says, looking over her shoulder. "Mornin'!"

"Good morning!" Sunray says, and Raybeam leaves his side, going into the living room to play.

Blade sighs, and upon reaching the bottom level, spots Lifeflight instantly on the counter, and he walks over, heaving himself into a bar chair to watch the medic closely.

"Oh, I'll get the energon," Sunray says. "It's my job. You can feed the blueberry if you want, though."

"Thanks," Winnie says with a smile, but she carefully watches Blade.

"T-Try out your com, W-Winnie," Lifeflight says. "Y-You left it in last night... Bumblebee s-said it was waterproof."

Winnie hones in on Lifeflight's com channel. "Boo."

"Sweet," he says, and his attentions turn to Blade again, who is reaching out for the medic.

"Blaade," Winnie warns. "Careful."

She walks around the island with the baby and sits in the chair next to him. Blade watches Winnie carefully, and slowly pulls his hand back.

"Thanks," she says and bounces Oneshot lightly.

Sunray begins to heat up the energon, pouring it into a pot on the stove. Once he is satisfied with it, he finds a bottle in the strainer.

Winnie smiles. "Num-num. Nummy energon," she murmurs, softly tickling the sparkling's feet.

Oneshot puts a hand on Winnie's shirt, and whines softly.

"Here ya go," Sunray says, sliding the bottle over to Winnie.

"Thank you." Winnie picks up the warm bottle and sits him in one arm. She puts the bottle by his mouth. "Here comes the train. Choo-choo," she whistles.

Oneshot reaches out, and takes ahold of the bottle, pulling it in to suck hungrily. Winnie laughs and looks back over towards Lifeflight.

"H-Hungry," Lifeflight says.

"What about you, Winnie?" Sunray asks. "Are you hungry? Lifeflight? Blade?"

"No thanks. I'm good." Winnie sees the energon beginning to run down Oneshot's chin, and sighs. "But could you pass over a towel, by chance?"

"Sure."

"I-I will take some," Lifeflight says.

"No," Blade grunts.

Raybeam comes in from the living room. "Food!"

Sunray laughs. "Alright. Here, Winnie."

"Thanks," she says taking the towel. She carefully wipes off some if the baby drool and energon trickling from Oneshot's mouth.

"Raybeam," Sunray says, holding out a toddler's cup to the sparkling. "Shield! Breakfast!"

Winnie looks over at the red bot beside her and smiles a little. Blade narrows his eyes at Winnie, and slides out of the bar chair, walking into the living room. As he passes Raybeam, he pushes him over.

Raybeam stumbles, and flops down, cup dropping. "Now, Blade, that's not nice," Sunray says, going over and picking up Raybeam.

Winnie sighs and looks down at the baby, who takes the bottle out of his mouth and burps. She looks back up at Lifeflight who is watching Sunray calm the toddler down. Winnie stands up, careful to not jostle Oneshot.

"I'll get you somethin', Lifeflight. Do you remember where Gil keeps the shot glasses?"

"I th-think there's o-one in the s-strainer," Lifeflight answers.

"Thank you," Winnie replies, looking over.

She pulls out the glass and pours the energon in with one hand, balancing the baby and bottle in the other. She turns and sets the glass next to Lifeflight. "There ya go."

"Th-Thanks," Lifeflight says, standing up to carefully drink from the glass.

"Welcome," she says brightly before sitting back down at the island.

Lifeflight drinks the energon back from the top, and watches Winnie feed Oneshot. "You're d-doing fine," he says.

"Thank you." She smiles as the sparkling finishes up the bottle.

She slings the towel over her shoulder and puts Oneshot on her shoulder to burp him.

"Y-You needn't do that, Winnie," Lifeflight says. "I-It is o-only in humans babies and newborn sparklings that they have digestive-ve issues."

"Oh... okay." She lays back the baby as he yawns. "Thanks."

"Aww, sleepy blueberry," Sunray says. "You still good, Winnie, or do you want me to take him?"

"I think I'm good," she says, rocking him gently and stands up. "Is anyone on the couch?"

"Nope," he says.

"Cool. Lifeflight, you wanna sit in here or...?"

"I'll f-follow you," he says.

Winnie smiles and carefully shifts the baby to one arm. She reaches down a hand for him. Lifeflight climbs up and hangs on, as she walks into the living room. Winnie sits down and and pulls her knees up. She lays the sleeping sparkling between the crevice of her knees and sets Lifeflight on her shoulder.

"B-Be careful with the doorwings," he warns, watching the sparkling.

"Okay," she says softly, and tenderly positions his little panels so they don't press into anything. "Like that?"

"Y-Yes," Lifeflight says, leaning against Winnie's head. "P-Perfect. You would make an e-excellent carrier."

Winnie blushes. "Thanks... I dunno, though."

"O-Or sparker, if y-you would take that avenue," Lifeflight says. "I-It's just-t a matter of choice. I th-think you would b-be good at whatever you d-decide to-o do."

Winnie smiles. "I have no clue what I'm doing. You'd make a better parent."

"I-I'm a trained m-medic," Lifeflight says. "I-It is my f-function to know how to-o do this - you are picking it u-up faster th-than I learned."

"I have a good teacher."

Lifeflight blushes and nuzzles against Winnie. "I-It's not everyday I f-find someone who cares a-about what I do. O-Or me. C-Cares about me."

"I care about you," Sunray calls from the kitchen.

"See?" Winnie tries not to squeak when she feels the little bot. "So does Gil and Bee and Max and probably plenty more."

"I-I can count-t the number on my fingers," Lifeflight says, "and I-I only have ten d-digits."

"Well, we care enough for a thousand people each, I can tell you that," she says, leaning her head back.

"Well... I'm j-just happy that you do," Lifeflight sighs and slides down her shoulder, into her arms, away from Oneshot. "A-And for that I am content," he murmurs.

Winnie smiles and wiggles her toes, humming quietly.

"L-Let me c-catch some r-recharge b-before we leave..." Lifeflight mumbles, eyes quickly drooping.

"Okay." Winnie smiles when he leans back against her neck.

_I guess I'm not going anywhere soon,_ she thinks, looking down at the sparkling also curled on her lap. Raybeam was playing quietly on the floor, but when he sees Oneshot and Lifeflight curled up against Winnie, asleep, he stands up with a stuffed duck, and walks over to Winnie, looking up at her inquisitively.

"Nap?" he asks, curiously inspecting both Oneshot and Lifeflight.

Winnie laughs and pokes the toddler's nose. "I guess so."

His doorwings flare as he climbs up onto the couch, slowly putting his head on her leg. The duck is held close, and his panels relax against the material. Winnie smiles and looks at the pile jokingly.

"Anyone else?" she whispers.


	17. Chapter 17

"May I join you?" Shield asks, walking down the stairs.

He snags a glass of energon on the counter and walks over, setting it down on the coffee table. "I have been functioning before the early hours."

"Join the party," she says, surprised, and moves her free leg to make room.

"I will not touch you," Shield says, and sits down gingerly next to her.

"Um... okay," she whispers trying to keep her hair from tickling Lifeflight.

"I do not enjoy physical contact."

"Oh, okay."

Setting his book carefully down on the coffee table, he sinks into the sofa, sighing softly. He flattens his panels, and his systems ease as he sleeps.

Winnie smiles and leans her head back. But even under the pile of warm little bots she wont be able to sleep. Shield slowly slides over, and his head lands on Winnie's shoulder, hand resting lightly on her leg. Winnie smiles and laughs silently. She tips her head back looking for Sunray.

"Can I join?" Sunray asks. "I promise I won't fall asleep."

"Ya right. With all these warm fuzzies, you'll be out in five." She smiles to him, teasing. "Find a seat."

Sunray walks around with a warm mug of energon, and sits down on the outside of the pile, next to Raybeam.

Winnie smiles. "Can't wait to see the look on Bee's face when he sees this," she says, gesturing with her free hand at the pile.

Sunray smiles and sips his energon. "That would be fun," he says, looking over at Winnie. "Fun picture."

"Yeah." She smiles back.

"You got any questions for me?" Sunray asks. "Daddy said you were very inquisitive."

"My reputation precedes me. Umm... questions..." She looks up at the ceiling for an answer.

"I drive," Sunray offers.

"Oooh," Winnie looks back at him. "What car... or vehicle?"

"Convertible," he says shyly. "It was my going-away present."

"Oh, no way," Winnie says, eyes widening. "Corvette? Porsche? 'Stang? Er, sorry..." She looks down and closes her mouth.

"Um..." Sunray says, "Maserati - Old Earth model. Nothing else fit my frame. Don't apologize for your questions, I asked for them."

"Apologizing is one of the few things I'm good at. But a Maserati? Dude, that's so cool!" she whispers excitedly.

"You wanna go for a ride, later?" Sunray says. "I have no qualms about taking you down to the track."

"That would be neat. Might be a bit late though. I need to go back home and work on my house for a while. But wow... that would be awesome."

"Great!" Sunray says. "What about you? I can't ask what your alt mode is, but what is something you will tell me?"

"Um... I don't know. I'll tell ya most anything you ask me... I just can't think of anything really worth telling," she says, laughing.

"Um... what kind of weapons can you fire?"

Winnie smiles. "Mostly bows, I suppose. Sometimes I dink around with a rifle or a longer range gun. Haven't worked with the big stuff since before... I like to bring out some slingshots, sometimes, too."

"Sweet," Sunray says.

"What about you?"

"Uh... single blast ion rifle," he says, holding out his right arm, which forms into a small, single barrel gun. "Effective for close range work."

Winnie turns her head, careful of Lifeflight on her shoulder. "Cool."

It reforms into his arm, and Sunray takes another drink. "What's your favorite color?"

"Green. And I'm guessing your's is..." She makes a face like she's thinking hard.

"Yellow," he says, sticking his tongue out. "As you can... see."

"Never woulda guessed," she says, smiling.

"Hmm... what is your favorite time of day?"

"Ooooh that's a tough one..." she grumbles, looking at the ground.

"I like the early morning," he says. "The sparklings aren't up yet, and the world is peaceful and new. Nothing about the war taints the morning air."

"A sports car and a poet." She smiles. "That's neat."

"What's a poet?"

"A poet...it's a person who writes poetry... kinda like a writer, but they write short stories that paint a picture, but you feel close to it... if that makes any sense."

"Um... are there any example authors? I can look them up and see what you mean."

"Let's see... Edgar Allan Poe, but his stuff is a little dark. Did Tennyson write poetry? I've read a whole bunch but didn't take much time with the author's names."

"Let's see... um... ooh, I see what you mean. I like the Edgar Allen Poe work."

"Yeah... a little dark, but good."

They rest a moment in silence, before Sunray timidly asks, "A-Are you bonded?"

Winnie's face gets warm. "N-No."

"Okay," Sunray says, "Lifeflight seems close to you."

Winnie smiles and looks down at the sleeping bot. Her face turns a little more pink.

"Blade? Does you spark hurt?" The red sparkling peeks in from the porch and nods. "Alright, come here and I'll give you a booster."

Winnie twists her head around to the porch as Sunray gets up. Lifeflight stirs as Winnie moves, but he only snuggles farther into her warmth.

Sunray pulls a vial out of the top of the fridge, and a syringe from subspace. He pulls a tiny amount from the vial and holds out a hand for Blade's arm, which is willingly given. He injects it swiftly, and Blade watches him stoically. Turning, his eyes land on Winnie.

Winnie meets his gaze and turns her head towards the couch in a tentative invitation to join. Blade sighs, and walks into the living room, sitting down in front of Winnie, by the coffee table. He stares up at her before looking away. Winnie smiles when he looks away and settles a little deeper into the couch.

Blade groans softly, and taps his chest. He crosses his legs and taps a little harder. Sunray sets his mug in the sink. Winnie watches him, a little unsure and listens as Sunray walks back.

"It doesn't always settle in altogether," Sunray says, explaining to Winnie.

Pulling a piece of armor off, Blade groans again, and his spark chamber slides open, revealing the pulsating orb of his blue spark. Winnie's eyes widen for a moment then she looks down.

"It's okay," Sunray says. "He's showing you."

Blade touches the orb slightly, and it turns in the casing, showing an empty hole where the other half of his spark should be. Winnie looks up at the spark and then to Blade's face. Blade frowns when he sees the half, and suddenly, little green sparks float out of the spark casing, latching onto the half.

"That's the blocker," Sunray explains. "It blocks the pain of the broken half."

Winnie looks up at Sunray and back at the red bot.

"It's okay, Winnie. Nothing bad will happen because of what he is doing."

Winnie nods and sits forward a bit in her seat. As she moves, Shield stirs, and immediately sits up when he realizes he was lying against her. His eyes are wide as he looks her over... but before he can get up, there are some heavy footsteps heard coming down the stairs.

Winnie turns around gently, trying not to disturb the others, as Bee comes down the steps. He yawns, stretching, and his panels flick a little before flaring out when he walks. He's dressed, for the most part. Pouring a glass of energon, he walks into the living room and sits down opposite Winnie, yawning again.

"I'm not dressing yet," he groans, in Winnie's general direction. "Deal with me."

"She shouldn't have to deal if she doesn't want to," G says, walking down with a tub of armor.

Winnie looks down at the floor as Bee sits. "Uh..."

"I _am_," he grumbles, stretching out on the couch. "I am no heathen."

Winnie nods and looks over at G. "Good nap?"

"Mmm... yes," G says, joining Bumblebee on the couch. "Poor Oneshot didn't want to go to bed last night."

"Well, he's out now," Winnie says, smiling at the sparkling in her lap.

"I see that," G replies. "You've got the touch."

"Or I bored him into a coma." Winnie says smiling. "The others too."

"Lies," Sunray says. "They willingly napped on her."

"Ha. Literally on. I was afraid of what was gonna happen if I needed to use bathroom," she laughs.

"That might get awkward," G laughs. "You hungry?"

"A little, but I can wait."

"Alright," G says. "Anything happen you deem was important?"

"Not particularly..." Winnie says, looking out of the corner of her eye at Lifeflight.

The tiny medic's hand curls around her shirt, and he nuzzles farther into her shoulder. Winnie laughs softly and looks back over at her friend.

"Comfy," she says.

"Yeah. It's like a blanket." Winnie smiles at the other two, still asleep.

"A lumpy blanket," Bumblebee says.

"That moves," Winnie adds.

Bumblebee receives a com, and he sighs. "Yes, c'mon in."

The warp pad fires up, and a mech steps through.

"Mornin', mech!" A boxy, orange Blaster walks up, a hand behind his back. "And she-hu- Winnie."

"Hey." Winnie smiles and lifts her hand up in a wave.

"Hey, you find your mech, lovely?" Blaster asks. "You didn' look so good climbin' down mah ladder."

She bites the inside of her cheek."Yeah."

"Well, that's good. Ah... uh... well, ya didn' look so good, so Ah foun' this."

He holds up a small, flat box, about the size of a letter. "Ah asked aroun' an' foun' that human females enjoy this. Ah... Ah'll see ya later, Chick. Bye, the rest."

Winnie slides her hand underneath Oneshot and lays him in Sunray's lap. "Um... thank you."

Blaster sets the small package on the counter on his way out, swiftly stepping onto the warp pad. He winks at Winnie before warping out. Winnie leans over and lifts Raybeam up, quickly exchanging her leg for a pillow, he continues sleeping. She sets Lifeflight on one of the pillows and walks over to the counter. Taking the package she opens it.

Inside, lies a _pristine_ bar of chocolate.

"Hope you like this," a little note attached to it says, "I can't read what this says, but enjoy :) "

"Oh my goodness!" Winnie exclaims, and slides the bar out onto her hand. She inhales deeply and the warm cocoa drifts through her nose. "Cripes. Gil! It's Hershey's!" She turns and holds it up gently.

"I wonder where Blaster found that? What's the note say?"

Winnie reads it aloud and smiles. "Holy cow, Gil, it's chocolate!"

"That sounds awesome... you gonna break it open?"

"I don't know... I mean... it's Hershey's, not just the carmel candy bars now... wow..."

"Blaster's got connections," G says.

"He must... wow..." She smells the chocolate and smiles.

"Well, he does run the com hub..."

"Oh yeah," Winnie reaches up and tries her new com. "Blaster? Ya there?"

"Hey, yeah, Chick. You need someone?"

"Nope. Just wanted to say thanks for the chocolate. It's incredible.

"Sure, sweet thing. I thought you migh' like it."

"Youu thought right. Thanks Blaster."

"Yep."

"I gotta go. See ya later!"

"Alrigh', sugar."

Winnie hangs up and turns back to the couch.

"You gonna eat any?" G asks.

"I don't know. You guy's want any?" she asks, leaning against the couch.

"Most Mecha don't like chocolate, Winnie," Bumblebee chimes, "but G might like a piece."

"Yes, I would," she says, looking over at Winnie.

Winnie smiles and carefully opens the chocolate. She inhales and breaks a rectangle off. She hands it over to G and sits slowly back in the couch.

"Oh _yes_," G says, slowly taking a small bite. "Thank. You. Blaster."

"Very much so," Winnie laughs.

Lifeflight stirs on the pillow, and slowly sits up, rubbing an eye.

"Hey there sleepy head," she says softly.

"Mmm..." he mumbles, yawning. "What do you have?"

"Chhhocolate." Winnie smiles. "Smell?" She breaks off a little piece and holds it over gently.

Lifeflight leans out to take it, and he pulls it in, smelling it carefully. He takes a bite... and smiles.

"This i-is good-d!" he says, taking another bite. "Why are w-we the only o-ones eating this?"

"Bee doesn't like it," Winnie says looking at the yellow bot from the corner of her eye. "What about you, Sunray?" she asks, holding up the chocolate.

"Thank you for the offer, Winnie, but no," Sunray says.

"Okay, then." Winnie smiles and breathes in the smell again.

"Whatcha got planned for today?" G asks.

"I gotta start in on the house." Winnie says looking up.

"If y-you go now when it's c-cool-l," Lifeflight says softly, "W-We can go t-to the creek when i-it is warmer."

"Okay." Winnie looks over her shoulder for the clock. "What time is it anyway?"

"Nine," Bumblebee groans.

"I better head out, then," she says standing up and stretching.

" 'Kay," Bee sighs. "Come back when it's warm."

"O-Or earlier," Lifeflight chimes in, looking up at Winnie.

"Do you want to catch a few laps?" Sunray asks. "Mama and Daddy are up now, so I could go with you."

"Sure... if you want," She smiles. "Gil... could I borrow my jeans back?" she asks, looking down at her fuzzy PJs.

"Sure. Actually, the ones you came in are clean. They are in on the washroom counter, along with underthings and a clean shirt."

"Thanks." she says, hopping into the bathroom. In a minute she returns with her normal clothes on.

"Warp bridge is ready for you," G says. "Rock on, and I'll have food ready for you when you come back."

"Leave," Blade says starkly. "Go and do not return."

"Blade," Bumblebee rumbles. "That is rude."

"Thanks, Blade." Winnie smiles and looks down at Lifeflight. "See you later."

"O-Okay," Lifeflight says with a bright smile. "C-Come back soon."

Winnie smiles and turns to Sunray. "Ready?"

"Of course," Sunray says. "Let's hit the track."

"How come you go with Sunray and not me?" Bumblebee asks.

"I never said I wouldn't," she says, turning.

"No? Okay..." Bumblebee says. "Let Sunray take you now. I'll take you on another day when I'm not so tired..."

"Aye-aye." She salutes and then marches to the warp pad.

Sunray follows her easily onto the warp pad, and through to medbay.


	18. Chapter 18

Winnie steps into the medbay, checking to make sure Depthcharge isn't... around.

"Hey!" a voice calls. "She-hu- I mean, Winnie!"

Winnie starts and then turns, smiling. She lifts up a hand and waves.

"Hey, chick," Blaster says. "You got a minute?"

Winnie walks over to the bot. "Yeah, I guess." Winnie looks over her shoulder at Sunray then back. "Thanks again for the chocolate by the way."

"Welcome," Blaster says. "Could... could you read this to me? It's... uh... a little too small."

He holds out a datapad, with bright, bold, black letters stating 'Staff Meeting Location Changed'.

"Um... sure.." She takes it and reads. "Staff meeting location changed."

"Okay," Blaster says, looking at Winnie expectantly. "Uh... where to?"

Winnie looks up curiously. "Room 1123." She hands the datapad back to him.

"Uh... does it say which staff are attending?" Blaster asks shyly.

Winnie looks back at the datapad and scrolls down a bit. "Um... select staff... uh..." She looks back up and tilts her head. "I don't mind it, Blaster, but... why am I reading this?"

His eyes slowly widen, and he sighs. "I... uh... I... can't rea' your language."

"Oh..." Winnie looks back down. "Sorry, I didn't mean to... um... Select Staff: Expansion Generals, Construction, Prowl, Waterline and Electric Plotters, and Communications Officers."

"Thanks, Winnie," Blaster says. "Now, before you go insisting I take a rea'ing class, let me clarify. I _cannot_ rea' your language. As in not able. Although, thank you for rea'ing my all call. I think the new mech in Mail hasn't gotten the memo from Prowl."

"Welcome... sorry if I pried..." She looks down at the floor.

"S'alright," Blaster says. "Least Ah know you'll rea' it to me. Ah better let ya get back to your date."

Winnie smiles and hands back the datapad. "Anytime. See ya soon."

"Alrigh'."

Winnie turns back towards Sunray and walks over.

"Are you ready?" Sunray asks.

"Yup." She smiles.

"Sweet! Let's roll." Sunray leads Winnie through the mainbay, and looks outside. "Does walking bother you?"

"Um... nope." She says looking up.

"That's good," Sunray says with a bright smile. "I'm a little too low for this road..."

Winnie looks out too. "Well, its a nice day for walking," she says.

Sunray smiles and steps out of the Base. His panels flick a little, and he walks with Winnie down to Metroplex.

"Good morning, Sunray," Metroplex says. "What are you here for? Oh, hey, Winnie!"

"Hi!" Winnie smiles.

"We're here for the track," Sunray says.

"Alright, it's open and ready. Enjoy the ride, Winnie!"

"Thanks."

Sunray walks with Winnie down to the gate, and he walks out onto the asphalt. The sound of screaming engines are heard in the distance.

"Ready?" he asks with a smile. "You want the top down?"

Winnie smiles and nods excitedly. "If thats okay."

"Heck yeah!"

Sunray rolls his shoulders, and the transformation sequence starts. He folds down into a sleek alt mode, with a black cloth top over the back half of his roof. It folds back, and he pops the passenger door for Winnie.

"Whoa..." Winnie smiles and sits down in the seat, looking around at the dash and the stadium.

The door shuts, and his seatbelts offer themselves to her hands. "I know it's kinda weird to hook you in myself..."

Winnie takes the seatbelt and clicks it into place. "It's fine."

"My hologram is sorta weird," Sunray says, and it appears in the driver's seat.

It looks like a human male in his early twenties, but as he looks over at Winnie, it glitches and pixelates before reforming.

"I took a shot in my holographic emitter and it was never the same," he explains, holding out a hand to inspect the glitching.

"I think it looks kinda cool." She watches as his hand shimmers.

"Not helpful if you try to pick up something," he laughs, reaching out to touch Winnie. His hand passes right through her shoulder.

"Yo, yellow alt mode! You gonna race or not?"

Sunray looks out of the windshield at a mech standing on the sideline. "Pardon, yes."

Winnie sinks back into the seat and smiles as they move to the starting line. The light flashes red, and Sunray's engine screams, as the hologram's hands ease onto the steering wheel.

"Three... two... one... GO!"

He jettisons off the line, keeping pace with the mech racing beside him.

"That all you got, sunflower?" the other mech taunts.

"Not even."

Winnie smiles as the wind whips around. "Too slow for the road... yeah right."

"Not too slow... low," Sunray says. "My front bumper almost touches the pavement."

Banking into the next turn, Sunray yells as the mech follows his turn. "WHOO!"

Winnie sticks her hands in the air and laughs. Coming out onto the straight stretch, Sunray shifts and pulls ahead of the other mech.

"Whoa..." Winnie turns and watches as they fly past the other car.

"That's what I mean!" the other mech calls, laughing. "Now it's a race!"

Winnie turns back and sinks a little lower in the seat.

"Whoo! Yeah!" Sunray cries, banking hard into the next turn.

"This is beaning AWESOME!" Winnie shouts, sticking her hand out the window.

"HECK YEAH!" Sunray cries. "WHOO!"

They hit the uphill, and as he pulls around the corner, Winnie is pushed back into her seat, due to the G-forces. She laughs and pulls her hand back in. The hill comes up, and Sunray guns it, hitting the crest of the hill at high speed.

He catches some air, and when his tires touch, he floors it, sending them soaring down. Winnie squeaks and then lurches forward when they hit the ground, then sits back laughing.

"Hang OOON!" Sunray shouts, as they hit the next turn.

" 'Kay," she laughs, hanging onto the seat.

They hit the final straight, and then the sharp hammerhead corner for the finish line.

Winnie throws her hands in the air as they cross. "WHOOOO!"

Sunray laughs as his engine winds down, and they slowly roll to a stop. "How was that?"

"That... was... EPIC!"

"Aww... yeah... do you... want... to do... that... again?"

"I would love to, man… but I gotta get started on the house soon." She looks at the cars passing the finish line. "Thank you, though."

"Yeah," he gasps, "I'll… walk you… to the… compound."

Winnie unlatches the seat belt. "You sure? If you're tired I can meet you back on Tyrus."

"I'll… walk you there."

She smiles and hops out. "Thanks."

Sunray transforms slowly, and stands up. He smiles, chest heaving, and a drop of perspiration runs down the side of his face. "Whew…that's more… work than… I've done… in months."

Winnie looks up and smiles. "Would've fooled me. That was awesome."

"It… totally was."

Winnie looks towards the entrance. "You wanna rest for a bit, or head out?"

"I'll… walk," he says, cycling still running hard. "My… cycling will return to… normal shortly."

" 'Kay," Winnie says, and they turn towards the gate.

Sunray follows Winnie out, and they make their way up to Metroplex's gate. As they walk out, Winnie looks over shoulder and waves. "See you later, Metroplex!"

"Alright, Winnie!"

They make their way to the compound, where a massive tank sits, and a soft snoring sound rumbles from him. Winnie covers her mouth and giggles.

She walks over and taps the tank's treads. "Max?"

He grumbles, and resumes snoring. Winnie smiles and looks over at Sunray, and points at the tank, smiling.

"Maaaax?" she tries again.

Slowly, he begins to come around. "Wh… wha…"

Winnie laughs as he wakes up. "Max… um… how come you're here?"

"Con… struction," he mumbles sleepily, shifting on his treads. "I…hope you don't mind me… sleepin' on your lawn."

"Nope, it's totally fine… I'm sorry I wasn't here. And the construction crew?"

"Me. I'm here to move… things into neat piles so it… can be picked up."

"Thank you."

"Mmm…"

"Sorry I woke you… uh…"

"No… I should probably… get up."

"No-no, it's fine. I just came to start on the house."

"I came last night… and I think I fell asleep."

"Oh wow… would you guys like anything?" She glances up at Sunray.

"I think… that I'm going to head back. Mama and Daddy rely upon my being there heavily," Sunray says. "Enjoy the uh… rebuilding."

"And I'll leave you once everything is tidy," Maximus rumbles. "Step back from my treads and I'll transform."

Winnie steps back and turns to Sunray. "Okay. Thank you for the ride around the track," she says with a smile.

"Let's do it again, sometime!" he chirps brightly. "Maybe by then I'll have done it some more and won't be so out of shape."

"Uh-huh. 'Out of shape'." She makes quotes in the air. "I'll come back to the house later."

"Okay," Sunray says, "I'll see you there."

She waves to him as he walks out, and turns back to Max. Grumbling, Fort Max slowly transforms and stands up. He stretches and his treads pop, reseating themselves on his shoulders.

"Let's get to work," he says.

Winnie smiles. "Okay, thank you for the help."

"It's what I'm here for," Max says. "Now… what will you be doing? I want to make sure I don't move something and accidentally… well…offline you."

Winnie smiles. "I'm going to be getting the books and chair out first. Is that cool?"

"Uh… how big is your chair?" Max asks, "I might be able to lift it out."

"It shouldn't be too hard, half of it is mashed up anyway," she says, picking her way through the debris.

"O-kay," Max rumbles. "But still… if I pull that out…"

Winnie looks at the munched couch. "Well…"

"If I pull it out, you can work on it outside," Max offers.

"Okay." She bends down and shifts over a branch, and picks up one of the broken chair legs. "If you don't mind doing it."

"Naw."

Reaching carefully into her living room, Max extracts the smashed couch, and he sets it down in the grass a little ways away.

"Anything in the rubble here that you want? Do you want the trees?"

"Oh yeah, definitely. And these two beams, I think…" she says, inspecting them. "I think the rest of the exterior stuff can go."

"Alright… where do you want the beams and trees placed? Just off to the side?"

"Yes, please. Anywhere is fine," she says, picking her way back out.

" 'Kay."

Max pulls a beam out and sets it down, off to the side.

Winnie turns and examines the rusty red couch. The half that was mashed had stuffing everywhere. Little splinters stuck out of the cushy seat.

"Do you need any wood for that?" Max asks, "I also might be able to supply more stuffing."

"Really?" she asks, picking bits and pieces out.

"Yeah… well, the wood might be too small for me to make, but I can shear a mean sheep."

Winnie looks over and smiles. "Wow… that one takes skill. Where did you learn to do that?"

"Uh," Max begins, pulling the other beam out. "I found some sheep wandering around and brought them to the nearest human… they kept them and showed me how to work with them. Sheep seem to like me. I'm sorry I can't make your wood pieces."

"Oh no. I can deal with that anytime. The stuffy stuff though." She takes out one of the empty cushions. "Did you catch that human's name?"

"Uh… um… I think it's Sherry… a human shopkeeper in the lower district," Max says. "I can find you someone to make the wood."

"Oh yeah, Sherry. And the wood will be fine – I'll have enough time to make it," she says, shaking out the rest of the cushion.

"My holoform might be able to do it…" Max says, pausing in his lifting, and he tilts his head and thinks.

Winnie looks up when he mentions his holoform. "Huh… yeah."

"I don't want to leave you with a job half done," Max says, "I don't know…"

"It's alright," she says, folding the cushion sleeve and setting it down. "I have almost the whole day to get it done."

"Still," Max says, "I don't like leaving this unfinished."

He sets the other beam down, and picks up a log, as easily as picking up an umbrella. Winnie starts in on the back cushions of the chair and hums.

Max lays the log down beside the beams, and moves the other one over as well. "Let's see… rubble…"

He rummages in subspace, and pulls out a wide metal scoop. He drops it on the ground, and backs up. Transforming, he starts his engine. "Am I even with the brackets?"

Winnie stands up and walks over. "Uhh… a little to the left."

Max reverses and pulls up again. Winnie bends over and checks. "Perfect," she calls, and gives him a thumbs up.

"Groovy." He moves forward, and the blade clicks into place. "There. Now I can push the rubble."

"Coolio," Winnie says, stepping back.

"Hmm… I don't know that expression. Is that from the era of Scooby Doo?"

"Uh… not really. Kind of after, I suppose… it just showed up and came in and out."

"Huh. Okay."

Max backs up, and drives over the rubble, then turns and begins pushing it away from the building. Winnie winces at the scraping sound of wood on metal. Then she bends down and picks the rest of the splinters out. Max pushes the rest of the rubble away, and when he is satisfied, detaches himself from the blade and transforms, subspacing it.

"Does that look good to you?"

Winnie turns around. "Yes. Thanks for doing that."

"Alright. Fort Max to construction."

The come screeches, and Max visibly winces.

"Whoa, sorry there, mech," Blaster's voice rings through the air, and Max beats on his chest with a fist.

"Faulty speaker," he grumbles to Winnie. "No problem, Blaster. I need construction."

"On it."

"Thanks," Winnie says again, setting the final cloth piece down.

"Yep," Max says. "They should be here soon…"

Winnie nods and shoves the couch a little further out of the way. A few minutes pass, and three Mecha soon drive up. "Fortress Maximus," the one in front says, "I see you have cleaned the rubble."

"Yeah," Max replies, taking a step towards Winnie. "The two beams and tree trunks are to remain."

"Noted," the mech says, and transforms. "And I am to assume that you are the she-human who lives in this building?"

Winnie smiles and puts her hand up, waving to the mech. The mech moves, and holds out his right hand. That's when Winnie notices he has… only one hand. Winnie's eyes quickly flick back up to his face. She reaches out to shake the bot's hand, and smiles.

"I'm Winnie."

"My name is Grapple," the mech says, in a smooth, melodic voice. "Pleased to meet your acquaintance."

"Nice to meet you too," Winnie says brightly.

"Transform and meet her, at least," Grapple says, looking to the other Mecha. "Show some manners."

Transforming, the other mechs stand up. One is green, with a large dump truck as an alt mode, and the other is a black utility vehicle.

"Long Haul," the bulky green mech rasps.

"Rollover," the other one says, in a much softer voice.

Winnie looks over and smiles at each of them. "Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise," the black mech says.

Long Haul doesn't say anything, but transforms again.

"His vocalizer hurts more today," Rollover says, patting the side of the truck bed gently.

"Ya don' nee' to tell every livin' thin' how I feel," the truck growls. "I can' help it."

"Oh… sorry." Winnie looks down at the grass then over to Max.

"Why?" the truck growls. "I don' wan' your pity."

Winnie starts to apologize again, then bites the inside of her cheek and looks down.

"Well then, let's get started. Maximus, you shall aide Rollover in the cleanup. Winnie, please remain off to the side so I know where you are," Grapple instructs.

"Okay," Winnie says, and walks back over to the couch.

Reaching into subspace, Rollover pulls out two giant shovels. "Good thing you ran over this junk a couple times," he jokes with Max, "or else we'd be here all day."

"I suppose," Maximus sighs.

She watches the bots work and starts in on the chair again. Max gets a shovelful and throws it into the truck bed, and it rattles with concrete. Long Haul just groans, and waits. Rollover moves swiftly, scooping smaller loads. Their pile is soon reduced, and the truck shifts under the weight.

"That shall be enough for this one," Grapple says from the sideline. "Take it to the designated location, Long Haul."

"Yes, Sir," the truck groans, and his engine starts, making him pull slowly onto the road.

Winnie looks over as he rolls away. Turning back to the couch she yanks off one of the legs that was dangling off.

"Here, let me help."

A hand is felt on her shoulder, and Winnie turns abruptly to look up into the face of a tall, bulky... human?

"Um... hello?" Winnie says, straightening up.

"It's me, Max," the human says with a smile. "This is my holoform."

In the background, the real Max waves at Winnie.

"Ooh." Winnie smiles. "Sorry. I didn't realize it was you."

"Understandable," Max says, loooking at his hands. "So what do you need me to do?"

"Um..." Winnie looks down at the chair. "I just need to pick all the splinters out and then figure out how much of

the frame needs replacing."

"Hmm..." Max rumbles. "Well... hmm... Bumblebee, how long would it take you to make a six by four sofa frame?"

"I don't know, Max, maybe like twenty minutes? Thirty? I assume that is supplies included."

"Of course, yes."

"Well, then, about that time."

Max looks up at Winnie and cocks his head. "If I supply you with a frame and the stuffing will you fix it? And can I sit on it?"

"Uh, sure, you can sit on it anytime, Max... but I can deal with the rest of it, you don't have to go to the trouble." She looks back at him.

"I would like to go through all the 'trouble'," Max says. "Whatever that means."

She looks up and smiles. "It's fine, Max."

"Well, I can at least shear the sheep for you."

"Okay," she says, picking up the empty cushions.

"Well... hmm... you can assemble it," he says, stepping back and thinking. "Probably now that I've said something to Bumblebee... hmm... I didn't think of that... well, you get frame pieces and wool... you can do the rest."

"Thanks. You guys do too much," she says, setting the cushions on the grass, and knocks the couch onto its back.

Long Haul rolls up, and Max sets back to work, with Rollover. The rubble is soon cleared, and Long Haul leaves again with a full load. Grapple walks over to the house, and begins to inspect the hole.

"Hmm... Rollover, plane some of these logs," he says. "May as well leave Winnie with some usable lumber."

"Alright, alright," Rollover says, pulling one of the logs off of the pile, and it rolls down onto the flat ground. His arm shifts into a sawblade, and he begins slicing the bark off.

Winnie pokes her head up. "Oh, it's alright. I can do it."

"I have complete faith in you," Grapple says, turning back to her, "but it would be rude to leave you with no supplies."

Winnie smiles. "Well, it would be rude of me to have you do my work."

"I don't expect you to be able to lift the logs as they are," Grapple reasons, "thus I am making them more manageable, and lifting your workload."

Winnie tilts her head. "Thank you... it's fine, though."

"Eh," Grapple says, before bending down to whisper in Winnie's ear, "I just like to make him work."

"Hey! I heard that!" Rollover cries indignantly, setting a freshly planed board down.

Winnie bites her lip and tries not to laugh. Rollover quickly slices off another board and flattens the edges; Max picks the boards up as they are made, and stacks them beside the hole in Winnie's home. Winnie steps back and smiles, swinging her arms.

Rollover slices the wrong way, and receives a face full of sawdust, and he sneezes loudly, blowing the dust everywhere. He finishes with one log, which made three boards, and moves onto the second.

Winnie giggles quietly and turns back to the chair, peeling back the cloth from the half munched chair frame. Four boards are successfully made from that log, and Rollover succeeds in removing most of the dust from his frame by the time Long Haul comes back.

"I think that is all for waste removal," Grapple says, "but I would like to check the structural integrity of your home to make sure nothing will collapse."

Winnie looks over her shoulder. "Oh... wow... thank you," she says, surprised.

As Grapple moves to the roof, Max stacks the rest of the boards. "Do you want to put these inside the bay, Winnie? They might dry faster," he suggests.

"Sure." She runs around the house to open the doors.

Max comes through with the boards, and lays them gingerly down on the floor. He checks his footprints as he steps out, to make sure he doesn't scrape the concrete.

Winnie smiles and follows him out. "It's alright, Max. You can't hurt it that much."

"Eh..." he mumbles, taking a cautious step back off onto the solid ground. "Since the ground is so wet... there isn't as much to hold my weight... and I don't want to harm your floor."

"It'll be fine," she says, stepping back out and closing the doors.

"I think everything is stable," Grapple says. "Nothing is compromised... at least nothing that isn't about to be fixed. Although... when you get all the beams up, I will come check again to make sure."

"Thank you, you guys are too nice," she says, looking up at him.

"Just doing my job," Grapple says with a small smile. "I shall most likely be back... let's go, you two."

"You want a ride back to Base, Winnie?" Max asks.

"Oh I think I'll be fine. I gotta run around here for a while. Thanks though." She smiles.

"Alright," Max says with a smile, and he joins the group of the other Autobots. "I'll walk, you three. Don't wanna tear up the road too much."

Winnie smiles and waves as they walk to the road.

She turns back to the house. "Let's do this."


	19. Chapter 19

The sun is a few inches above the horizon when Winnie returns from the forest, covered in mud and dirt. She slogs back to the compound, and glances at the hole in the roof before walking in. She changes out of her wet clothes and listens to the house creak.

"W-Winnie?" Lifeflight's voice echoes in her com. "H-Has the c-crew arrived?"

She jumps, and then realizes her com was still in her ear. "Hi, Lifeflight! Yep, they've already come and gone."

"That w-was swift," he says softly. "A-Are you ready to c-come back?"

"Uh-huh," she answers, sliding her shoes and jacket back on.

"O-Oh good! Dinner's on the table a-and waiting."

"Yay." She smiles to herself as she walks out the door.

She looks around at the empty clearing and hurries to the road. She reaches Base and stumbles around the many feet in the crowded hallway. Walking through the medbay doors, she sees Ratchet standing by a berth, with a mech sitting on it. Ratchet holds a pair of pliers, and pulls something long and brown out of the mech's arms and hands.

Winnie stops and tries not to look, although she's a little curious.

"Ow! Ouch, doc, ow!"

"Hold still."

The mech sitting on the berth peeks over Ratchet's shoulder, and sees Winnie. "Winnie! Winnie! Hi -YEOWCH!"

"Hi... um..." she looks over to the warp pad.

"Don't leave me!" he yelps, "OW! Ratchet, stop for a sec!"

"Fine," the medic grumbles, and steps out of the way.

A bright, bouncing Windstorm sits on the berth, covered in porcupine quills. "Winnie!"

Winnie walks over to the berth. "Hi! Um... what did you do?"

"Por-cu-pine," he grumbles, holding out his arms. "They aren't as soft as you might think. Have you ever seen a por-cu-pine? Where are you off to?"

Winnie smiles. "Yes. And I was headin' to G's house. Did you try to hug it or something?" She examines the quills still buried in his arms.

"I tried to pet it," he says, looking at his hands, which drip energon from the little holes of already removed quills.

Winnie smiles. "Good job," she says, looking at the barbed quills.

"Stupid job," Ratchet growls, cleaning his hands of energon.

"I didn't know it would do... uh... what are these?" Windstorm asks.

"They're called quills. When a porcupine gets scared it flicks these up so it doesn't get eaten. They have little barbs all over them, which is why they're so hard to pull out."

"Oh," Windstorm says, his shoulders sinking. "So... they're all gonna hurt?"

"Unless you will let me put you out," Ratchet grumbles. "That was the first option I gave you."

"No-NO!" Windstorm cries, "No. No. Winnie... what do you do? Do human animals get these... quills?"

"Oh yeah. Dogs especially get these, if they chase one. Really the only way to get 'em out is straight out, and hope the tip doesn't break."

"So stop moving," Ratchet sighs.

"But... but... okay," Windstorm relents. "What have you been doing? It's late... and you're awfully muddy. I was outside today and saw the por-cu-pine... that put a hold on my day."

"That stinks. I've been outside doing chores, mostly. Where did you find the porcupine?" she asks. brushing one quill gently.

"Uh... Sector Alpha 437. I was coming back from a mail pickup from the outpost down there, and saw the creature... Silverbolt made me deliver the mail before coming to medbay. Flying at M Speed Seven does not feel good with... quills... sticking out of your frame."

Winnie looks up. "You seriously transformed with these in you?"

"It all becomes outer plating," he explains. "But they vibrate at high speed."

Winnie nods. "That probably broke some off, though." She sighs and sees a particularly deep one in his forearm.

"You mind?" she asks, gesturing to it.

"No," he says, extending his arm to her.

She takes the large quill and puts a hand on his shoulder. With a quick yank it gives, and the entire quill sits in her hand. "Sorry."

"Ow," he winces.

"Here, Winnifred, some pliers. I don't want to have to pull quills out of you as well," Ratchet says, holding out another pair.

Winnie smiles and takes them. "Thanks." She looks up at Windstorm. "So have ya seen any other odd human animals around?"

"Uh... I caught a glimpse of an albino ikran the other day," Windstorm says, looking up at the ceiling and thinking. "I see Hei Bai frequently... I was dared to fly over Deimari and the trees look really weird. There was a giant crevasse there too... I wanted to go down into it, but Silverbolt got angry with me being so far away and I had to come back."

While he talks Winnie pulls two more spines out while he talks. "Really? Wow." She looks around for another quill as he continues.

Windstorm turns his arm over, and it as if no quills had been pulled. "The por-cu-pine was really big," he apologizes. "Almost as big as you are."

He thinks a moment, for more creatures. "Hmm... I saw some wild Pa'li. The elk don't like my engines... oh! I saw a... a... flying whale," he says. "They are HUGE."

Winnie smiles and has three more in her hand. "You've seen them? That's awesome!"

"Yeah! They don't mind if you ride them, either," he says. "I'll see if I can snag you a falling feather. They are _definitely_ as tall as you are."

Winnie moves further up his arm. "Wow... that's crazy."

"YeahOUCH! That one hurt," he mumbles, watching Winnie set an energon-coated quill down in the tray.

"Sorry," she says, examining the hole. "That was a deep one."

"Cleanser," Ratchet says, passing her a bottle and rag.

"Thanks." She says swiftly dousing a portion of the rag. "So you said the trees on Deimari were weird..how weird?"

"Uh... well... hmm. Really sharp looking. Lots of angles. And it wasn't all trees. Some yellow stuff grew straight out of the ground in some places."

Winnie pulls two of the last needles out, and looks up as she recognizes their descriptions. "Cool."

"Ya," Windstorm says.

Observing her work, Ratchet sighs. "You're too efficient. You want the next appendage? Are there any more, Windstorm?"

The mech looks from Winnie to Ratchet, and sighs, unclipping his breastplate. Quills dot his chest, and he sighs.

"Okay... maybe there were two por-cu-pines," he grumbles.

"Winnifred , you ought to take a picture of that," Ratchet says with a dark smile. "That is... a lot."

"My goodness," Winnie laughs and reaches to her com. "Lifeflight, tell G I'm gonna be a bit."

"O-Okay," he says, "A-Are you safe?"

"Yeah." She smiles to herself. "I'll be back soon, I'm just in Base."

"Okay," he says. "I'll inform th-them."

"Thank you," she says, turning back to Windstorm.

He smiles sheepishly, and holds out his hands in a show of peace. "P-Please don't throw the pliers at me," he says, "but they're in my legs too."

Ratchet throws his, and they bounce off Windstorm's helm.

"Ow! I just asked POLITELY to NOT throw them!" he cries, ducking to avoid anything else that might be headed his way.

Winnie leans back and laughs. "Wow, Windstorm. I knew you tried to hug it." She picks up Ratchet's pliers and sets them on the berth.

He winces and smiles a little, as she starts in on more quills.

"Y-You taste like Lifeflight," he mumbles. "Have you seen him recently? There are so many signatures on you. How did your building fare the storm? That thing blew me around a little bit when I reentered the atmosphere."

She grips another quill. "Yeah. The compound has a pretty good sized hole in the roof, but other than that it's good."

"Really? Do you need any supplies?" he asks, "There's bound to be some wood I've flown over that would be useful."

"Oh, it's fine. Grapple, Max, Rollover, and Long Haul came over and helped," she says, yanking another.

"That's good," he says. "Have you met any more Mecha? What about animals? Do you want me to bring you back something when I go out?"

"Yes to all three... just don't try and hug another porcupine or anything again." She smiles to him.

Windstorm sighs, and grimaces as she plucks another quill out of his skin.

"You should come over to the compound sometime when it's not broken," she says, trying to get him talking again. She moves from his arm to his leg, where a broken quill is lodged in his knee.

"That sounds like fun!" he chirps. "I've never been in the human settlement. The ikran mail riders come to Base to receive their mail."

She gathers the pieces into a bunch halfway through his sentence and pulls. "I think you'll like it, the people in the villages are really nice."

"Really?" Windstorm asks, "You're about the only human I've ever really met... Silverbolt doesn't encourage that, remember. I hope I'll be able to come," he says, face falling. "Oh! Look at this," he says, pulling a tiny piece of paper out of subspace, and he hands it to Winnie. "Someone took our picture! That's my squad..."

Winnie wipes her hand on her jeans and takes the paper, and smiles as she looks at it. "Neat."

Five mechs stand in a line, falling over each other, each with jets' wings perched over their shoulders. Bright smiles light up each of their faces, except for the very middle one.

"Now that the war's over, we were finally allowed to bond," he murmurs. "We're one big family."

"That's awesome. Who's this?" she asks, pointing to one of the bots.

"In the middle? He's the oldest of all of us... Airstrike. He had a previous squad... and they were offlined halfway through the war. He wasn't very happy with us when we were assigned to be his new squad, but he's getting better. His spark just hurts, because he was already bonded with his original squad. We still don't know how he survived their deaths. But, he's the warmest to sleep with," Windstorm says with a smile. "Underneath all of us, so he won't be alone."

Winnie smiles and hands the photo back to him. He looks at it warmly, before resubspacing it. "Anyways..."

"Yeah..." She turns back to the quills and grips another.

He grits his denta as she yanks that one free, and it bleeds bright energon. Winnie grabs the rag and cleans the puncture.

"I am never touching a por-cu-pine again," he grumbles, and his skin twitches as she dabs the cleanser into the puncture.

She laughs. "They aren't that bad. You just can't walk up behind them and scare 'em. They really like carrots though."

Windstorm shivers. "You can feed them," he says. "I'll watch."

"Okay then," she says, finishing up on his legs.

"Have you been to the beach?" Windstorm asks. "I fly on the coast sometimes."

"Not in a really long time. What's it like?"

"Golden," he says, shifting so that she could reach some more quills in his other arm easier. "There are some weird brown blobs down there too. They move around when I fly over."

"Brown blobs? You mean seals?" she asks excitedly.

"I don't know... they look vicious. I think they spit acid."

"I can't believe they're still around! But... acid?"

"It's green and eats rocks," he says. "They get angry and spit it at others... and jets, too, if we fly too low. They have surprising accuracy," he says.

"Wow..." Her eyes widen. "They didn't do that before..."

"Really? Oh right, Old Earth. What did they do then?" he asks.

"Well... they just fought with their own body weight. They swam and ate fish... I wonder what they eat now."

She yanks a few more quills from his skin.

"Gulls," he says. "They shoot acid at the birds and it kills them... when they fall they catch them. And eat them. Acid and all. I see them in the water too... maybe fish as well."

"Wow... I must see these," Winnie says, inspecting another quill.

"I will personally fly you there," Windstorm murmurs. "I must have something interesting in subspace..."

Reaching in with his free hand, he pulls out... what is that?

"Here... I found this on the ikran caveline. They don't mind us fliers as long as we don't speak and don't touch the nests."

He holds an ikran skull by one of the horns.

Winnie stumbles back a bit. "Whoa! Dude!" She grins at him. "That's sweet!'

"Um... you can have it," he says, holding it out. "I'm afraid if it rides around with me it'll break."

Winnie takes it and marvels at the bone. "Wow... thank you..."

"Ya!" Windstorm chirps. "I'll see if I can find you any more weird things like that. Wait... are you that big compound out past all those trees... there was a hole in it last time I flew over the other day..."

"Yup. Is it that noticeable?" she asks.

"Well, you're the only building out that way in quite a wide radius," he says. "I'll put what I find in front of the compound. Then you'll see it."

Winnie smiles. "Thank you."

"Ya."

Another quill is pulled out, and Windstorm bites his bottom lip, as a breath whistles into his chest. Winnie sets the skull gently on the berth.

"Here, I'm almost done," she says, gripping the next spine.

"O-Okay," he mumbles, as she tears it free.

She finishes with the last two quills. "There. How ya doin', Ratchet?"

"I'm done... there are a few in some weird places, but I will get those - you are free to go."

" 'Kay. Thanks for the skull, Windstorm. See ya later?"

"Ya," he says softly. "I'll see you later."

She turns to the warp pad. "Don't hug any more porcupines," she calls over her shoulder.

"I won't," he answers, and watches Winnie step through the warp pad.

...

She steps into Gilli's house and looks around. "Hello?"

"Winnie!" Lifeflight responds from the kitchen.

"Winnie," Bumblebee replies, in a much less-excited voice.

She sets her pack and over the skull by the warp pad. She takes off her boots and walks into the kitchen. "Hi!"

"Dinner?" Bee asks. "I'll dish you up... G is crashed again with Oneshot."

"Um... Sure. Thank you." She looks to Lifeflight on the counter. "Hi."

"Hi! What's that th-thing on y-your shirt?"

Winnie looks down at the hem of her shirt. A quill is hanging onto a stray string. "Oh, that. Windstorm tried to pet a porcupine and I was helpin' Ratchet with him. Human dogs get quills shot at them a lot, so i felt that my help might bit a little more... painless," she says.

"W-Windstorm? What was h-he doing with a por-cu-pine?"

"He stopped and thought it was soft, he pet it and got quills everywhere," she says, walking over to the counter.

"Sounds l-l-like something h-he would do," Lifeflight says, smiling up at Winnie. "I'm g-glad you're back."

She looks down and leans against the counter top. "Glad to be back. So how was your day?"

"G-Good," he says. "Um... made blueberry m-muffins, nearly fell into th-the batter, took a nap, a-ate, watched a movie, took a-a nap, woke up, watched-d Oneshot, ate, c-commed you, now I-I'm here."

"Sounds like you had a busy day," she says with a smile.

"B-Busy enough," he says, "there w-wasn't enough of you i-in it, though."

Winnie's face turns pink and she laughs a little.

"I'm happy y-you're here," he says, looking up at Winnie with a warm expression.

"And I'm happy I know you are safe," Bumblebee says. "You're on my radar now."

"Bothers ya that much?" She looks at Bee.

"If you haven't learnt by now, I'm extremely protective," Bumblebee sighs. "I can't help it."

"Yes I have 'learnt'," she teases.

He smiles and sticks out his tongue, passing a steaming bowl over to her. "Learn this," he teases back, flicking a fork with his other hand to stick into the white mass inside.

In the bowl is mashed potatoes, gravy, and some kind of meat.

"I don't dish up peas because they creep me out," he says, passing her the small bowl of green vegetables. "You can have the rest."

"Oh gosh. Food." She digs into the potatoes. "Mmm... thank you."

"Yep," he says. "Now. It's ten o'clock. You know the rules. I'm heading to bed... Lifeflight, keep an eye on that thing, okay?"

"I-I will," Lifeflight says with a smile.

"Good. 'Night, you two."

" 'That thing?' " she questions. "Good night."

He winks, and makes his way to the stairs. "Neat skull, by the way."

Winnie smiles and takes another bite of potatoes.

"W-Windstorm was in my c-class, you know," Lifeflight says softly, watching Winnie eat.

"He told me you took flying lessons together."

"Y-Yeah... and I c-couldn't keep up w-with him because he liked g-going really high," Lifeflight shudders, his tiny shoulders shaking.

Winnie reaches out and brushes his rotors gently. He smiles and relaxes, and he sits down on the counter, flaring his airblades for Winnie's easier reach. Winnie runs her hand down them and takes a bite of the meat.

"Mmm... your fingers are so soft," he murmurs. "Feels so good."

Winnie looks down and finishes her food. "You tired?"

"Y-Yeah," he says, "b-but I c-could definitely use a wash."

" 'Kay," she says, pulling her hand back.

Standing up, she takes her dishes in to the sink. Lifeflight watches her walk back around and gently pick him up, and then carry him into the washroom. She sets him down on the sink and turns on the water, waiting for it to warm up.


	20. Chapter 20

Hello there, readers :) I have used the song "Not With Haste" by Mumford and Sons within this chapter... it's not mine, I make no claim to it :D

...

Once the water is warm, he slides down into the sink, and moans as the warmth washes over him. "A-Are you going t-to wash as well?" he asks.

"Ya," she says, hopping behind the curtain.

Lifeflight laughs. "I w-was about to s-say you need it."

"Oooh, ouch," she laughs.

She turns the water on and smiles as it steams. Lifeflight sighs, and listens to the water rushing over his helm. So warm...

"Your eyes, they tie me down so hard

I'll never learn to put up a guard," his song begins.

"So keep my love, my candle bright

Learn me hard, oh learn me right..."

Winnie smiles as he sings.

"This ain't no sham

I am what I am..."

Lifeflight quiets for a minute, listening to Winnie... listening to him.

"Though I may speak some tongue of old,

Or even spit out some holy word,

I have no strength from which to speak

When you sit me down, and see I'm weak."

Then Winnie pipes up behind the curtain. "I know this song..." she whispers.

"-really?" Lifeflight says, stopping for a moment. "Old Earth?"

"Uh-huh. It was on one of my favorite movies," she says happily.

"Really? I-I didn't kn-know that," Lifeflight says softly.

Winnie surfaces from the melody in her head. "Sorry... I um..."

"Don't be," Lifeflight murmurs. "D-D-Do you want me t-to continue?"

"If you want..."

"I w-will do a-anything you want m-me to, Winnie... d-do you?"

"I um..." she says, face flushing pink. "I like your voice," she says quietly.

"Y-Y-You do?" he asks softly.

"Yes..."

"I-I... th-thank y-you," he whispers.

He begins again, voice soft at first, before regaining the lilting luster.

"We will run and scream,

You will dance with me,

They'll fulfill our dreams and we'll be free..."

Winnie smiles and hums along, just quiet enough he can't hear her.

"And we will be who we are

And they'll heal our scars

Sadness will be far away."

She closes her eyes and listens to him sing.

"So as we walked through fields of green

Was the fairest sun I'd ever seen."

He sighs.

"But yet...

And I was broke, I was on my knees

And you said yes as I said please."

His song stops. "Thank y-you, Winnie."

"For what?" she asks quietly.

"You s-said yes...

a-and for listening to m-me...

and f-for being with me."

"Lifeflight... I... I like being with you."

"A-And I like b-being with you, W-Winnie... y-you make me feel w-wanted."

"You are..." she whispers.

"T-To you, and that i-is the best f-feeling for me," he mumbles, suddenly shy.

Winnie stands in the shower, quiet and unsure.

"W-Winnie! It's n-nearly eleven!" he yelps, checking his internal chronometer. "T-Time to get out."

"Oh crud." She turns off the water and quickly pulls her clothes on. "You done?" she calls.

"Y-Yes," he calls. "I-I'm still wet, though."

She steps out from behind the curtain and snags a towel. "Here," she says, drying him off gently.

"Mmm..." he moans, as she dries his airblades. "Hands... bring th-that towel for your hair s-so you don't catch cold-d."

Winnie laughs but brings the towel anyway. "You might want to fly up to the room. The energy tear is more likely to recognize my signature than yours."

"The f-fabric does n-not choose who f-falls in," he says. "It m-merely opens very, v-very f-frequently at night."

"Hmm..." She extends a hand for him.

Climbing on, he hands onto her fingers as she walks out of the washroom. She quietly pads up the stairs, eyes wide for the change in scenery.

Almost to the top of the stairs, Lifeflight squeals and holds tight to her hand, unintentionally pinching the slight webs between her fingers.

"Stop!"

Winnie just about jumps out of her skin. "What?" she whispers.

"Don't move!" he orders sharply.

"What is it?" she asks, turning her head.

"L-L-Look down," he says, peeking over her fingers.

Winnie slowly tilts her head to look at the floor. But there... isn't a floor. She sucks in a sharp breath. All that there is... is a dark funnel, going down into the staircase, swirling with energy.

"Th-That's the tear," he murmurs, leaning closer to get a better look.

Winnie feels her head swim as she looks down. "Oh... wow..."

"Don't. Move."

"Can do," she whispers.

After a few moments, the portal flickers, and closes, the stairs reappear.

Winnie sighs and relaxes. "Wow."

"Now...w-walk very s-slowly... the rip opens wh-when you move qu-quickly, and not when you go slow."

" 'Kay."

She takes a long step forward, trying to regulate the speed. They reach the top of the stairs, and soon are entering their room.

"Well." Winnie laughs once the door is closed.

"That was... i-interesting."

"Very much so," she says, setting him down.

Winnie pulls his blanket over to him and then sits on the bed. Lifeflight yawns, and stretches, curling up with his blanket.

Winnie watches him and dries out her hair. "Little tired?"

"J-Just a little," he murmurs. "You?"

"Eh... kinda," she says, leaning back.

"Okay," he mumbles, slowly lying down, curling in his blanket.

"'Night," she says turning to face him.

"Night," he whispers, almost asleep.

She pulls the sheets up and watches his rotors twitch. Winnie lies down, listening to the soft sleep sounds of Lifeflight. Hmm... tomorrow is his last day of small stature... then he will be returned to normal. That will be good...

...

When Winnie wakes in the morning, Lifeflight is curled up against her hand. She sits up and smiles at the little bot. He moans in sleep, and nuzzles against her. It's still early.

She rubs her eye and sighs, doubting she would be able to go back to sleep. Might as well get up. She pulls back the sheets, and pulls her hand away from Lifeflight, sitting up.

As Winnie pulls away, Lifeflight groans and wakes. "W... Winnie?"

"Shh, go back to sleep," she whispers.

"Wha..."

"It's alright, it's still early. Go to sleep."

"But..."

Winnie leans back. "It's alright."

"Mmm..."

She smiles and brushes his rotors, and he stretches, hands wrapping around her fingers. She smiles; it looks like she's not getting up.

Lifeflight snuggles into her hand again, and his breathing is warm against her skin. Winnie rolls over and sighs, feeling her arm go numb and tingle. Lifeflight is oblivious, happy to sleep on. She closes her eyes and makes a jumbled list of her chores to be completed at the compound.

...

After a while, Lifeflight stirs again, and sits up, Winnie's hand held close in his lap.

"W-Winnie?"

It takes a while for her to register that it's actually Lifeflight talking. She starts and then looks over at him. "Hi."

"G-Good morning," he mumbles, rubbing his eyes with a hand.

"Mornin'. Sleep well?"

"Mhmm..." he moans, stretching and then curling around her hand. "A-Are you ready t-to get-t up?"

"Ya." She smiles and sits up, adjusting her still damp jeans from yesterday.

"Okay," he murmurs, and Winnie's hand pulls back from him, as she slides out of bed.

She stretches and then lays a hand down for Lifeflight to climb on. Lifeflight drags himself onto her hand, still yawning and sleepy. Winnie laughs and walks carefully to the door. Opening it she peeks into the hall before creeping down the stairs.

No one is downstairs.

"Huh. Looks like we're first up... again."

"Hmm... Shield is in-n the l-living room," Lifeflight says softly. "I th-think he's a-asleep, though."

"Ah," she says, peeking into the room.

Shield is sprawled over the couch, book still in hand.

Winnie smiles and ducks back in. "So what do you wanna do?" she whispers.

Lifeflight yawns. "I don't know... wh-what about you?"

"I think not waking him is at the top of my list." She smiles.

Lifeflight smiles and nuzzles into her hand. "I-I'm good with most a-anything... a-although, p-please t-take me to the w-washroom."

" 'Kay."

She tiptoes to the bathroom and opens the door. Setting him gently on the edge of the sink she smiles and walks back out. She closes the door and leans against the wall outside. There is a thump, and a soft whine from the living room.

She peeks around the corner again. "You alright?"

"Ow..." he whimpers, sitting up and looking over his shoulder. "I wrinkled a panel."

She walks over to him and holds out a hand to help him up. He hesitantly takes her outstretched hand, but once he is pulled upright, wobbles and trips into her, equilibrium out of balance.

She catches him and pulls him upright. "Here... um... do you need help?" she asks hesitantly.

He looks up at her for a few moments, before sighing. "Please straighten my panel. My balance will be off until it is unwrinkled."

She sits him back down on the couch and gently reaches out to his panel. He nods to her, then opens them, and pushes it towards her open and waiting hand.

She quickly, but softly, straightens the wrinkle out. "Is that good?"

He flicks his panels a couple of times, and sighs. "Yes... thank you."

"Your welcome." She smiles and turns back to the bathroom.

"W-Winnie?" Lifeflight calls from inside.

"Yes. You done?" she asks.

"I am," he says softly.

She opens the door softly and walks in. He sits on the edge of the counter, waiting for her. Lifeflight smiles up at her, and swings his legs. She smiles back and turns the water on for a moment before putting her hand down.

"A-Are you hungry?" he asks. "B-Better eat something."

"A little... I feel bad raiding Gil's kitchen. You?"

His tank growls, and he looks sheepishly up at Winnie. He climbs onto her hand and sits lightly.

"I'll take that as a yes." She smiles and walks out towards the kitchen.

As she enters the kitchen, footprints echo down the stairs, and Sunray walks into the downstairs level.

"Good morning," he murmurs, rubbing an eye.

"Mornin'" She smiles and sets Lifeflight down on the counter.

"I'll fix breakfast," he says with a yawn. "That okay with you?"

"Sure... if that's not a problem," she says. "Anything I can do?"

"Nope... just don't go upstairs," Sunray murmurs. "You can sit at the counter if you like."

" 'Kay," she says sliding into one of the chairs.

"Sun..." Raybeam walks down the stairs, followed by a grumpy Blade. "Loud..."

"Too loud for you?" Sunray says, going and picking him up. "Oh dear... how about you come lay down on the couch."

After settling the sparkling down, Sunray walks back into the kitchen and pulls out some energon from the fridge. Winnie watches the exchange and looks down when she feels Lifeflight by her hand.

He tugs lightly on her hand, flicking his rotors questioningly. "Rub?"

"Sure." She smiles and reaches out sliding her fingers down the airblade.

He shivers, and they flare out as she begins to rub the first one. "Mmm..."

She shivers as well, then looks up and watches Sunray.

"I wouldn't expect Daddy for breakfast," Sunray says absentmindedly, heating some energon and pouring it into a child's cup, which he delivers to Raybeam. "Or Mama."

"Oh... 'Kay." Winnie says moving to the next rotor.

"I mean," Sunray says, "it's not like they're sick or anything... today is... Sunday, right?"

"Uhh..." Winnie counts on her fingers. "Yeah... I guess it is." She smiles to Lifeflight.

"That's what I thought," he says, heating up some more energon, this time for Blade, Shield, and Lifeflight. "Pardon, I'm starting on low-grade first," he says softly.

"But Sunday... yep. They're bonding," he says quietly. "Every Sunday is set aside for bonding time in the morning. Early morning, but we're all up a little early, aren't we?"

"Er... yeah," she says, looking to the floor.

"Relax," Sunray says. "G will be okay. I've been told it doesn't hurt."

"Hmm..." Winnie says, unsure of how to respond.

"It's p-perfectly alright," Lifeflight says brightly. "Bonding means s-sparklings! And sparklings m-mean me!"

As Winnie strokes a blade, he giggles as she finds a ticklish spot. Winnie laughs a little and settles back into the chair, going back over the spot. Lifeflight giggles, and squeals as she exploits the spot over and over.


	21. Chapter 21

Winnie smiles and pulls him closer, still tickling him. He squeals even louder, clinging to her fingers. That TICKLES! Winnie stops for a bit and smiles as he breathes hard.

"Winnie," he gasps, lying back against her hand. "Whew."

She smiles. "A little ticklish?"

"J-Just a little," he breathes, a hand wrapped around one of her fingers.

She puts a hand around him and looks over to Sunray.

"Breakfast?" he asks, passing over a mug of energon to Winnie, and a shot glass for Lifeflight. "Shot is low-grade, mug is standard," he says.

"Thanks," she says, taking a sip. Warm! Much better than cold energon.

"Alright, anything fit your fancy?" he asks, "Pancakes, toast, eggs, oatmeal..."

"Umm... toast please?"

"Alright... anything to go on said toast, ma'am? Eggs, hollandaise, the blood of your enemies..."

"Oh I prefer a little gore-toast any day," she says in a fake British accent.

"Of course, we all do," he says with a wink. "But I seem to be fresh out of vanquished enemies... next preference, please?" He smiles at Winnie, barely able to contain himself.

"Um... eggs?"

"Comin' right up. Anything beside that? We got plenty in the fridge... breakfast goes big around here."

"I'm fine thanks."

"Okay." He reaches into the fridge, and pulls out a box of eggs. "Shield? What do you want?"

"Selection four," Shield answers, walking into the reading room.

Winnie smiles. "Selection four?"

"When he was little, he got tired of telling us what he wanted, because it was the same every time. Selection four is his code for toast, buttered, two eggs, over, and a cup of blueberry oatmeal."

"That's a system," Winnie says with a smile.

Sunray grabs six pieces of bread, and pops two into the toaster. He cracks seven eggs into his skillet, and turns the heat up. Reaching back into the fridge, he grabs a bowl of blueberries, and sets it down on the island.

"You can eat some if you so desire," he says, picking some out himself.

"Ooh! Winnie! Grab me o-one too! What are th-they?" Lifeflight asks.

Winnie grabs a few and hands one to Lifeflight. "Blueberries," she says, popping one into her mouth.

"I-I've never had one b-before," he says, cautiously peeling a little of the skin back, and he takes a bite. "Mmm..."

"Good?" she asks, grabbing a few more.

"Ya!" he chirps, taking another bite. "A l-little tart."

"Yeah. But otherwise they get all squishy-icky."

"Eew," he says, giving a look to his blueberry and Winnie's.

"These are good ones though." Then she turns to Sunray. "Who'd ya get these from? They're really good."

"Hmm... I honestly can't remember... Mama and Daddy do most of the resource gathering."

"I'll have to ask them later. I've been looking for a good blueberry farm," she says rolling one in her hand.

"Sounds good," he answers.

Winnie sets one on the counter and flicks it gently, bumping it into Lifeflight's leg. He squeaks and picks it up, setting it in his lap.

"Th-They are imposing th-though... I mean, it's h-huge coming t-towards me! B-But they taste so good..." He takes a bite of the one Winnie flicked at him.

"Whatcha gonna do today, Winnie?" Sunray asks.

"Well... maybe we're finally gonna get down to the creek."

"Yay!" Lifeflight cries happily. "Creek!"

"Sounds solid," Sunray says. "Breakfast up!"

He flips two eggs over, and then cuts two others out, onto a plate. The toast dings and pops up, and he puts them on a plate too.

"Breakfast served," he says, sliding it over to Winnie.

"Wow... thanks," she says, taking a bite of toast.

"Yep."

She looks down to Lifeflight. "Want some?"

"Sure! I th-think..."

She breaks off a little piece of toast and dips it in the eggs. She hands it to Lifeflight with a smile.

He takes a bite, and his eyes widen. "Wow..."

"Ya like it?" She asks taking another bite of her own.

"Yes!"

Winnie smiles. "Cool."

Sunray reaches into a cupboard, and pulls out a box of oatmeal. He finds another pot, and starts the oatmeal. She watches him fix it and shovels the eggs into her mouth.

He pulls three eggs from the pan, and the other two pieces of toast go on another plate. He puts the other two pieces of toast into the toaster, and starts stirring the oatmeal.

As Lifeflight finishes the toast she looks back at him. "Want some more?"

"Mmm... I'm f-full," he murmurs.

" 'Kay." She smiles and takes another bite.

Sunray finishes with the oatmeal and mixes some blueberries in, then puts all the food on a plate.

"Selection four," Sunray calls.

Winnie watches Shield walk in and takes the last few bites of her breakfast.

"Thank you," Shield says, and takes a seat next to Winnie.

She smiles at him then leans back in her chair, feeling warm and full.

"Blaade," Sunray calls. "Come eat."

"Not hungry."

"Booster?"

"Coming."

She pulls her plate over and stands up. She takes her dishes to the sink as Blade walks in.

"Back from the dishes!" Sunray says, snagging them from her. "No dishes in the morning. I will do them later. Or Daddy."

" 'Kay." She smiles and walks back to the counter, nearly running into Blade.

He stands in the kitchen and holds out an arm.

"Booster," Blade insists.

Winnie watches Sunray as she sits back down.

"Okay," Sunray says, reaching into the fridge for a vial.

He pulls out a syringe and needle from subspace, and puts it together, drawing one milliliter from the vial. He takes Blade's arm, and injects it into his elbow, Blade watching the entire time. Winnie watches him, then looks down at the counter. Blade sighs and taps his chest, then walks back into the living room.

Winnie smiles and then looks over to Lifeflight.

He stretches and looks up at Winnie. "Wh-what do you want t-to do now? I th-think we ought to wait f-for G and Bumblebee s-so that th-they know where we're g-going."

"Yeah. Hmm... what do you wanna do?" She asks.

"I-I don't know... S-Sunray?"

"Hmm... I don't know. Board game? Oh, Winnie, you could go feed King. I haven't, yet."

Winnie smiles and looks outside. "Sure! I keep forgetting he's here."

Sunray laughs. "We'll stay inside, so you can take him out."

"I-I'll sit in-n the window," Lifeflight says.

" 'Kay. Where's his food kept?" she asks.

"Uh... pantry. On the left. It's past the washroom down here," he says.

"Thanks," she says, standing up and walking quickly to the specified door. She opens it and pokes her head inside, looking around.

"Look down," Sunray calls.

She smiles and looks down at the dim floor. "Thank you!" she calls back.

"Yep! I'm going to go get Oneshot."

Winnie reaches down and reaches into the bag. She feels a cup, and scoops the contents of the bag into it. She then closes the door, and heads towards the door to the porch.

"Oh, Winnie! Here," Sunray says, reaching into the fridge.

He pulls out a cut of meat, and gingerly sets it down on a plate for her.

"Thanks." She says walking in and picking it up.

She turns and smiles at Lifeflight before walking outside. She quickly pads barefoot to the kennels, and calls a greeting to King. He whines as she opens the door. Setting the meat on the floor she pours the contents of the cup beside it and takes off his muzzle.

When she takes the muzzle off, he eats ravenously. When the food is gone he stares at the door and whines.

"Okay then. Stick close."

She pokes her head out and makes sure no one is outside. The two walk outside, Winnie with two fingers on his head. Then she lifts her fingers.

"Go way out," she tells him, and the dog shoots forward, sniffing everything excitedly.

She watches King sprint around and then he freezes, tail wagging. She looks at him and then slowly sinks down onto all fours. She growls playfully, and sways back and forth, smiling.

He barks, and runs over to her, nuzzling into her hair and yipping happily. She wrestles with King for a while, playing and running around; while chasing each other Winnie flops onto the grass.

"Wee?"

Winnie jumps up and looks around for her dog.

"Wee!"

Raybeam comes out onto the porch, and King is right beside the rail, sniffing his feet. Winnie runs over and wraps her hand around his muzzle, but there's no need. King looks up at the sparkling, waggling his hindquarters happily. Winnie breathes out and looks up at Raybeam.

"Hi."

"Eh..." he whines, looking down at King. "Doggy..."

Winnie pulls the dog back towards the kennel. "Sorry. One sec." She smiles.

He slowly takes a slep back, watching Winnie lead King back. "Play?" he asks.

"Sure!" She says sliding the muzzle over King's nose as she puts him in the kennel. "What do you want to play?" she calls.

"Pet?"

Winnie looks up. "Do you want to pet him?"

Raybeam nods shyly, watching Winnie. She smiles and leads King quietly back over, muzzle still on. The dog's tail wiggles as they approach the steps. She snaps her fingers in front of the dog's nose and he sits patiently. Winnie holds a hand out to Raybeam and smiles.

Carefully, Raybeam gives her a hand and she brings it down gently to rest on King's wet nose. He wiggles but doesn't move forward. Winnie smiles at Raybeam.

"He likes you."

Raybeam's doorwings fold down, and his eyebrows knit together. He kneels down on the porch to get a better reach, and cautiously pulls his hand back, looking at the shining wet on his palm. He looks up at Winnie, cocking his head questioningly.

"Doggies' noses are really sensitive. Their noses are wet because they smell really well."

Raybeam looks back at his hand, then wipes the wet on his leg, holding his hand back out again for King. He stretches, and gingerly puts his hand on King's head. The dog presses into his hand and smiles under the muzzle.

Raybeam pets him a little, before a voice echoes from inside. "Raybeam..."

"Sun!" he chirps. "Doggy!"

Sunray comes to the glass door, and looks out of the screen. "Winnie..."

King's ears twitch at the voice. Winnie looks up to the mech. "It's alright. Ray, can you stand up for a bit, please?" She motions for Sunray to come out.

"Ya," he says, pulling himself up, and he stumbles a little, hanging onto the railing.

He glances over his shoulder at his panels, and flicks them a couple of times to recalibrate the sensors. Sunray comes outside, throwing a dishtowel over his shoulder.

"Hey, there, Ray."

A rumble builds in King's chest and Winnie tightens her hand. "Sunray, could you come over here? Hold out your hand."

"Why?" Sunray asks, walking over to Winnie. He puts a hand on Raybeam's helm, and the little sparkling's hands hang onto his leg.

Winnie looks up as King's growl fades. "Put your hand in front of his nose. I want to see what he does."

"If he bites me I demand that you give me a kiss to make it better," Sunray says, winking and sticking his tongue out. "Right on my canine slobbered hand."

She sticks her tongue back out at him. "He won't bite you."

"Heh."

He reaches out his hand, and has to lean over the railing to extend it down to King's level.

King leans back and looks up at the bot, then sniffs the outstretched hand. The dog relaxes and wags his tail.

"Well?" Sunray asks.

"Do I pass?"

Winnie smiles and scratches the dog's neck. "Yep. You two scored higher than most."

"Well, I feel honored," Sunray says.

"Me! Me!" Raybeam chirps, reaching out again to touch King's head. "Kin'."

Winnie let's go of his nose and hangs onto his collar instead, letting the toddler pet the dog.

The door slides open, and Bumblebee steps out, a smile tickling his mouth, and he stretches. "Good morning," he purrs, rolling his shoulders and flaring his panels.

At the sight of Bee's panels, King jumps and darts out, away from the porch. He drags Winnie into the middle of the lawn and turns, fur raised and growling. Bee watches this and walks over to Sunray, picking Raybeam up and putting an hand on Sunray's shoulder.

"Winnie?" he asks.

She bites her lip and pulls herself up. "Sorry." She looks up apologetically and pulls the scared King back to the kennels.

"Um... okay," Bee says. "For what?"

Winnie puts King back in the kennel before answering. "I should have been paying more attention," she says, as a muffled bark comes from the dog.

"Why? I've been out of it for a little... he seemed alright with Sun and Raybeam."

"Yeah..." she says, walking back to the steps.

"Well, at least he's doing better with some Mecha," he says, setting Raybeam down and leaning on the rail. He watches Winnie walk up to the porch.

She looks up at the bot. "That time when King got out at the compound was the first time you had seen him right?" she asks.

"Hmm... yes," Bumblebee answers, flicking his panels up in curiosity. "Why?"

"I think it must have been your reaction to him that day. When you growled at him and showed aggression he labeled you as a threat." She climbs back up the steps. "Neither Sunray or Raybeam did. It might take a while for him to warm up to you now."

"Hmm..." he rumbles. "Makes sense. You eat?"

She smiles. "Yep."

"Good," he says, stretching again. "Hmm... anything else?"

"Nope... Lifeflight and I might go down to the creek in a bit though," she says, looking in through the door.

"Nice. I think I'll polish my cannon today... so if there are any stray shots... well, that's me, so no reason for alarm."

"And I shall give Oneshot a bath," Sunray says. "Mama is assigned to medbay today."

Winnie nods. "Cool."

"I request a mathematics exam whenever it is convenient," Shield adds, standing in the doorway.

Winnie looks over her shoulder to him and smiles.

"Well, let's get to it," Bumblebee says. "Sounds like we each have something to do."

A tiny helicopter flies over Shield's head, and lands on the railing, transforming into Lifeflight. "W-Winnie!" he squeals brightly.

"Hey, Lifeflight. You wanna go to the creek?" she asks, turning to him.

"Yes!" he says, eyes wide. "Yes!"

"Cool. I'll get my shoes."

"Okay," he says, watching Winnie walk onto the porch.

She walks past Shield and appears a minute later, boots in hand. Lifeflight watches as she sits on the stairs, starting to lace the boots up.

Bumblebee walks past her, gently tugging on a lock of hair sticking up in the back, and he sits on the swing, facing the yard. His right arm formats into his cannon, and he starts twisting it, and pulls the top half off.

Winnie sticks her tongue out when he walks past. She stands up, walks gingerly inside, and holds out a hand for Lifeflight to climb on.

"See you in a bit," she tells Bee.

"Alrighty," he answers, setting a piece to the side, and pulling out a bottle of cleanser and a rag. "Shout if you need aide."

"Can do," she calls, as she walks down the porch stairs with Lifeflight in hand.

"Th-This is exciting!" Lifeflight bubbles, "I c-can't wait to s-see it!"

"Me neither," she says padding across the grass.

They cross over to the trees, and walk down under the shade.

Winnie smiles and breathes in the cool, earthy smell. "I can hear the water," she says, listening.

"M-Me too!"

She carefully ducks around the branches and follows the gurgling. As they step out behind another a tree, the creek comes into view. At the beginning, it is only a little trickle, and it runs down a small dip, gathering together to become larger and more voracious as it rushes past Winnie. At the start of the water, there are some wild lilies, and Lifeflight gasps in awe when he sees them.

"P-Please put-t me down b-by the lilies," he murmurs.

Winnie grins and sets him down in the moist earth. Unlacing her boots she casts them aside and sticks her feet in the cool water. He stretches up to sniff the first lily carefully, and smiles at the sweet scent.

"W-Winnie! They smell-l good."

She smiles and bends down to smell them. "Mmm... yeah."

He stretches and walks to the next one, smelling that one too. Moving to the little trickle that the creek begins as, he dips a foot in. Squeaking when he feels it is colder than expected, he looks up at Winnie.

"Just a little cool," she laughs, and messes with the moss on the rocks.

He puts the other foot in, and looks down the slight dip, to where the creek moves into a pool before continuing. Looking up at Winnie, he jumps, and slides down the moss into the pool, diving in with a little splash.

She jumps as he slides, then seeing it was on purpose, relaxes and watches him surface. He smiles up at her, treading water.

"You scared me," she laughs, pushing a lily pad over beside him.

"R-Really? I'm sorry, I-I didn't-t mean t-to," he says looking up at Winnie with warm, pleading eyes.

"No... no. It's fine," she smiles, wiggling her toes.

He smiles, and turns over, diving down again into the water. After a few moments, he comes back up, water running off his helm and shoulders.

"W-Winnie! There's s-something d-down there!"

She puts her hand into the water. "Really? What'd it look like?"

"White," he says. "White a-and thick."

Winnie slides a little further into the creek and sticks her hand in the mud. She feels something solid and pulls it out. She brings it into her lap and wipes the algae and dirt off.

"Oooh."

"Wh-What is it?" Lifeflight asks, walking over to the edge of the creek and looking up.

"It's an antler," she says, rubbing away more muck.

"Wh-What?" he asks, "Wh-Where do they come from?"

"Remember the elk I told you about?"

"Yes..."

"This is one of the things on their heads," she says, holding it up.

"Oh..." he says, looking closer. "I didn't kn-know they c-came off. What a-are they m-made of?"

"Bone... they grow out of their heads and then fall off every year."

"Wow..." Lifeflight says, as Winnie sets it back down in her lap.

He puts his hands on it, and then reaches into subspace, pulling out a tiny scanner. Passing the light over part of the antler, he looks at the readings.

"Interesting m-molecular st-structure," he says.

Winnie smiles and wipes it down on her jeans. "You should see what the big ones look like."

"D-Do you have a-any?" Lifeflight asks.

"Probably... if nothing else, I could get one in a few months."

Lifeflight smiles, and sits down on Winnie's leg. "It's s-s-so nice out-t here."

Winnie leans back against a rock. "Yeah."

Subspacing his scanner, Lifeflight wipes his eyes and scoots down to nuzzle against Winnie. "O-Out of the w-water it's a l-little nippy."

She smiles and pulls her arm up around him.

"It's a g-good thing you f-found m-me," he says softly, snuggling into her warmth.

Winnie bites her lip and nods. "I think so too..."

"W-Well, I w-was beginning-g to w-worry if y-you were okay," he murmurs, "a-about you doing something r-rash."

"Rash?" She smiles down at him.

"I don't know," he says, "i-insist on swapping y-yourself for me, h-hunting down Depthcharge yourself... th-things like that."

He looks up with Winnie and smiles knowingly.

"Pretty spot on," she says, looking back at him.

"I-I am g-grateful you did-d all you d-did, though," he says quietly.

"I hardly did anything... it was my fault it happened in the first place," she says, looking down.

"No, it wasn't," Lifeflight says softly, looking back up at her. "It-t was no one's f-fault."

"I dropped you..." she mumbles.

"I fell," he corrects. "I w-was hanging o-onto your hair and I f-fell off."

She chews her lip and says nothing. "P-Please don't b-blame yourself," Lifeflight asks.

She opens her eyes and looks at him. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" he asks.

"I do blame myself. I'm sorry for that and I'm sorry I dropped you."

Lifeflight stands up, climbing up Winnie's shirt. He hangs onto her hair, and stands on her collar, peering into her eyes.

"Stop. Blaming. Yourself." He taps her nose with a finger. "Things-s happen."

Winnie smiles a little bit, then looks down. "But that shouldn't have."

"Th-That's like s-saying... saying... I-I shouldn't have m-met you," he says. "I-It must have been meant t-to happen, b-because it did."

She sinks down a little bit in the moss, looking into his eyes.

"I-I want to tell you," Lifeflight murmurs, "th-that I want... want t-to kiss you. B-But I won't. M-Mostly because you could e-eat my helm... s-second is I don't know i-if you want to. I... I... j-just want to show my _thanks_ f-for you b-being th-th-there."

He whispers the last few words, and his eyes lower, then flick back up to Winnie's, and he slowly sits down on her collar, curled up next to her neck. Winnie stares out at nothing.

A little squeak comes out of her mouth as she tries to speak. Lifeflight's fingers trace over a small part of her skin, and he flicks his rotors, reseating them in the folded down position.

"Uh..." she says, still trying to process what just happened.

"I'm sorry," Lifeflight mumbles. "I sh-shouldn't have s-said that-t."

"No... er, I... I mean, um..." She feels her face heat.

"N-No, I just st-step into e-everything two f-feet and shoulders f-first," he sighs, curling up against her warmth. "F-Feel free t-to ignore the last statements-s I h-h-have made."

"No, I won't," she says, brushing his rotors gently in an attempt to pull his mind away.

He shivers, and holds onto one of her fingers.

"A-are you cold?" she squeaks out, feeling him shiver.

"N-Not more than u-usual right n-now," he murmurs, "I just l-like feeling you n-near me."

She feels her throat tighten and is quiet for a minute, listening to the water chatter and the bugs gather as the sun climbs up. A boom is heard from the direction of the house, and Lifeflight startles himself off of Winnie's collar, landing in her lap.


	22. Chapter 22

Winnie jumps too and puts an arm around Lifeflight, holding him close.

"What?" she gasps, then she remembers what Bee said and relaxes.

"Sorry 'bout that one," Bumblebee's voice speaks into her ear. "Misfire."

Winnie smiles and reaches up to her com. "It's 'kay."

Lifeflight shivers, and gingerly pulls part of Winnie's loose shirt up, and he curls underneath against her warmth. "That's a l-lie. I'm c-c-cold."

She smiles and pulls her feet from the creek. She cups the little bot in her hand and grabs her shoes and socks with the other. Lifeflight shivers and trembles in her hand. She holds him close and stands up turning to the house.

"Sorry."

"I j-j-jumped in," he says.

"Yeah... but then we should have gone back home," she says, ducking back through the trees.

"Hmm."

They soon make it over to the tree line. Winnie pokes her head out and then steps onto the soft grass.

"Hey you two," Bee calls from the railing. "Be careful, send me an alarm before you come out. I might have accidentally shot you."

Winnie smiles and walks up to the porch. "Now that would have been exciting."

"And painful. It feels like being dipped in lava," he says. "I shot myself in the foot when I first developed the mod... and that was not pretty."

"Ooh. Skills," she says as she climbs the steps.

"More now," he says with a smile. "Why don't you sit down here with me? How are you doing, Lifeflight?"

"C-C-Cold," he murmurs, still wrapped in Winnie's shirt.

"Ya wanna go inside?" she asks, looking down at him.

"Here... I'll run a hot bath... er, sink," Bee says, standing up. He tips the muzzle of the cannon up to make sure that no metal drips out. Winnie follows him into the house as they walk into the kitchen.

"How was the creek?" Bee asks, turning on the kitchen sink.

He finds a stopper and plugs it.

"It was really cool," she says, walking to the counter and pulls the antler from her pocket. "Found this too."

"Nice antler," Bee says, as the sink begins to fill up. "C'mere, Lifeflight."

Winnie untangles him from her shirt and passes him over to Bee.

Bee holds him in his hand, and sticks the other in the water. "I think this is cool enough... here, stick your foot in it."

Bee lowers him into the sink, and Lifeflight cautiously sticks his foot into the water.

"Yes!" he squeaks, and slides off of Bee's hand into the water, sinking in up to his neck.

"Tiny hottub," Bee jokes, looking to Winnie.

"Nice."

She leans up against the counter and sticks her fingers in. The water is warm enough to be called hot, but not hot enough to redden the skin. Lifeflight sighs and sinks down into it, airblades flaring out to cover more surface area. Winnie smiles and drips water on his helm. He looks up at her with a warm smile, and he yawns.

"Winnie..." he mumbles, eyes slowly closing. He slides down a little bit in the water as he begins to fall asleep.

She quickly sticks her hand in and slides it under him, keeping his head from going under.

"Well, that was fast," Bee says, picking up a dishtowel, from where it was hanging off the dishwasher handle. "Dry?"

"Thanks," she says, taking the cloth.

She pulls him from the water and lays him in the soft towel. Gently rubbing his rotors, she tries to dry him without waking him up. Lifeflight doesn't stir, even while Winnie fondles his rotor kit to make sure it's dry. When she's finished she wraps him up in the drier side of the towel.

"You headin' off to somewhere? He can stay with me if you are," Bee says, twisting his cannon barrel to the right, and his hand reformats.

"Well... there's a pile of wood that need fixing at home so..." she says, looking up at him.

"Alright, you go on. I'll be here."

"Thanks." Returning to her boots by the door she quickly puts them on and heads back to the warp pad.

"Oh, and um... oh yes. Can you give this to G? She left too soon and forgot." He reaches into the fridge, and pulls out a sandwich in a baggy. "Lunch."

"Sure." She smiles and walks back, taking the bag.

"Thank you," Bee says with a smile. "I'll be with Lifeflight, com me if something goes awry."

"I will. Thanks!" she calls over her shoulder and walks through the warp pad.

...

Winnie steps down onto the medbay floor. She looks around the room. Now where would Gil be?

She stands at a berth, where Windstorm sits still.

Winnie walks towards them "Hoi, Gil! Hey, Windstorm!" she says brightly.

"You're here," G replies with a smile, looking over at Winnie.

"Hi, Winnie," Windstorm says lowly.

"You forgot your lunch," she says holding up the baggie.

"Oh! Whoops," G says with a smile.

"Ow," Windstorm moans, as she rubs one of his arms.

"Not so fun, is it?" G asks sympathetically, turning to the mech. "The punctures are deep," G says, "And porcupines are not sterile... each of these little pierces is infected."

"And they ache..." Windstorm moans again. "Ow..."

"_All_ of them are infected?" she asks looking at one of the inflamed wounds.

"Well... all except... uh... three," G says. "Why?"

"Didn't you douse those last night?" Windstorm asks. "I don't think Ratchet did much except cause pain..."

"I can understand why they would be infected... but so many? Which ones did Ratchet do again?" she asks seeking the uninfected punctures.

"Uh... I don't know," Windstorm mumbles. "You both were pulling them out at the same time, I couldn't tell heads or tails which was which. Probably going back to the squad wasn't the best plan..."

"Huh... I think that either Ratchet or I must have broken the quills off while they were still in there." She looks up at Windstorm apologetically. "I'm really sorry if it was me."

"I have yet to find any broken quills," G says. "You know what little creatures of the underbrush are in to. Nothing sanitary."

"Yeah..." Winnie smiles. "That makes me just about the same as them on cleanliness." She jokes.

"I don't think so," G says with a smile. "You've showered more times recently, you're nearly as clean as I am." She sticks her tongue out and flicks Winnie's nose, making the tip lightly sting.

"Well that's a relief. But I'm gonna have to go and fix that now." She smiles. "See ya guys later?"

"Yep," G says. "Jeez, hold still, Windstorm."

"ButOW it hurts!" he cries in defense. "Let me go! OW! Can I go with you?"

Winnie looks over at Gil. "You're in charge of him. Yea or nay?"

"Do what you will," G says. "Just come back so I can _finish the job_," she growls playfully to Windstorm.

"Heh heh," he grins, sheepishly. "Okay..."

"Cool. I'll try and bring him back in one piece," she says, punching G on the arm as she turns.

"Yeah yeah," G answers. "Or else you'll have the squad _and_ Silverbolt after you."

"Silverbolt!" Windstorm exclaims. "You... you won't tell, will you?"

"Naw," G says. "He's too uptight on you guys. Although, I would head out before he catches you here."

"See ya, G!" she calls, heading for the door.

"Alright!"

As Winnie moves to walk out of the medbay, a com in her ear halts her. "Winnie! Wait! Don't leave yet!" Bumblebee's voice echoes.

" 'Kay." Winnie smiles and turns back to the warp pad.

After a few moments, Bumblebee steps through, panels high. Lifeflight is held in one hand, and a canvas bag in the other.

"Here," he says. "I forgot to make you lunch... now you can work without having to come back and waste hours... and when I heard Windstorm was with you, I made some for him too, so now you both can eat today."

"Wow... thanks, Bee," she says taking the bag and smiling.

"Yeah," he says with a smile. "Don't get hurt."

"I will make sure she doesn't," Windstorm says, stepping up next to Winnie.

"Alright," Bee replies warily, "I'll expect your com, Winnie, when you stop for a break."

Winnie rolls her eyes and laughs. "Sure, Bee."

"Hey, pardon," Bee says, panels flaring open. "Don't peek, but there's goodies inside."

"Oooh," she says, eyes widening as she looks at the bag.

"Now, off with you,"" he says teasingly. "Don't waste the solar cycle while it shines."

"I won't," she says, and looks to the tiny bot in his hand. "Tell him hi for me when he wakes up."

"I will," Bee says softly.

She smiles and turns to Windstorm. He smiles at her, and his jets' wings flick a little, in their limited range of motion. "I've never been in the human village before," he admits. "You probably will need to walk me through the interactions."

She starts to walk to the door. "Okay, but you'll be fine."

"If you say so," he says apprehensively.

The two maneuver their way through Mainbay and out to the road.

"Do any humans fly?" Windstorm asks, as they make their way further down the road.

"Fly jets? Or anything?" She asks

"Anything," he says. "No skysurfers, though."

"Yeah... one or two that live in this village. Most are a little more northeast of here."

"Ooh! Do you know what they fly?" he asks. "What models?"

"I can't say I do, sorry. All I know is the two that live here flew planes. One was a jet and the other was a Sopwith Camel, if you can believe it," she says. "You should meet my brother though, he knows and flies a whole bunch."

"Wow," Windstorm says. "I must."

Winnie smiles as they walk past the buzzing village. A ball bounces into the road, landing in front of Windstorm, and he looks down curiously at it.

Winnie smiles at him. "Go ahead."

She nods to the ball and turns waving at a cluster of kids. They stand in the entrance to the village, whispering and shifting around one another. Shoving to the front and then retreating. He slowly bends and picks up the ball. As he stands up, one of his punctures drips a little energon onto the ground, and he looks to Winnie.

"Do I give it back?"

Winnie smiles and nods excitedly; one of the children stumbles forward.

"Uh..." Windstorm says, losing his words.

A little girl stands up and puts her hands behind her back. Her light blue dress is dusty and she looks up at Windstorm from under her bangs.

"Is... is this yours?" Windstorm asks.

She nods and rocks back and forth on her heels. He holds it out to her, trying to manage a hopeful smile. She hesitates and takes the ball in her little hands. She looks up at him and smiles wide, face lighting up.

Windstorm looks to Winnie and then back at the girl, and a smile graces his lips. "What's your name?" he asks. "Where do you live? Do you have any pets? Do you know this huntress?"

The girl smiles wider and giggles. "Nina," she says quietly.

"Hi, Nina! My name is Windstorm! How old are you? Do you have any siblings? Winnie?"

The other children shuffle and whisper then scatter as a voice calls from the village. Nina turns and then smiles back at Windstorm.

"I like you," she says, before taking the ball and running back to the village.

"Bye," Windstorm calls, and he turns to Winnie. "Winnie?"

Winnie looks up at him grinning wide. "Dude... you have no idea how awesome that was..."

"Really?" Windstorm asks.

"Yeah," she says, nodding her head.

Windstorm giggles and looks after the little girl. Winnie motions for him to keep walking down the road.

"That was Nina. She doesn't talk much. She has said four words to me in the five years I've known her. You got that many in thirty seconds. Wow..." She smiles.

Windstorm smiles back at her. "I guess she likes me," he says. "I'm surprised she talked to me, though. Not many talk to me like you or G do."

"You stick around here a while, and you'll find out a lot of people will stop and say hi."

"Wow," Windstorm says quietly.

Winnie smiles. "Yeah. I'll have to take you back there, on the way back to Base."

"Okay!" Windstorm says. "What is our heading- I mean, where are we going from here?"

"My house. The compound that you said you see," she says, directing him around a corner.

"Oh yes," Windstorm says. "I remember."

They walk quietly for a while then Winnie pipes up. "So what did you think of her and the other little kids?"

"Small," he says.

She laughs. "Yes, that's true."

"Innocent," he adds softly. "Untouched by war."

"Yeah... that's also true," she says.

"Where is the building?" he asks, "and does it have a name? 'The building' seems so impersonal."

Winnie smiles. "The Compound. Some people call it that... it's really just a house."

"Nice name," he says. "Better than 'bay three'."

"I don't think so... bay three sounds... official."

"It was not of our choosing," he says. "You got to pick."

"Well..." she says as they round the corner to the clearing. "It's a home."

"With the squad, yes," Windstorm says with a smile. "Are we near?"

"Yep." The Compound comes into view and she pads across the grass. "Welcome."

"Wow," he gasps, looking up. "It... it looks different than from above."

She walks around to the back. "Really? Sorry it's not that... presentable, I guess."

"No... different good," he says. "I only see things from the top, so actually looking at something shows the depth."

She grins as she hauls up the bay doors.

"Wow!" he exclaims, peeking in. "You even have your own berth..."

"Not mine. Mine's inside the house." She says latching the door into place.

"_Inside?_" he asks. "I've never slept in an... _inside_. I lived in a bay, even before the war began."

"Really?" she asks, walking in towards the drying wood boards.

"I was a mail courier then as well."

"Cool." Winnie smiles and rummages in a drawer.

"Yeah... got to do a lot more interstellar travel, then. It's so much fun doing that. What all is there to do today?"

"Um... I'm sorry that I brought you, and I don't even have anything really fun to do. I just need to get the wood cut and sanded down," she says, straightening up with a handful of sandpaper.

"I don't know how to sand wood, but can I have some free time?" Windstorm asks quietly. "I'm always assigned to do this or that and don't have much freedom to just... go. Please? I feel like bad company, though, leaving you."

"No-no," she says, smiling. "I feel bad making you work. Everyone always insists on doing something. Feel free to do whatever."

"Eee!" Windstorm squeals, quickly giving Winnie a hug. "Thank you! Thank you!"

He takes a few bouncing steps out a ways from the comppound, and he transforms in a series of whirling sequences.

"I'll OUCH be back!" he cries joyfully, engines firing up.

"Don't get hurt!" she calls after him, laughing.

"Okay!" Windstorm calls in response, and takes off, maybe using twelve feet of ground to put him in the air.

Winnie smiles and turns back to her project. She tucks the sand paper and axe under one arm. Picking up one end of one long board she drags it into the yard.

She drops the wood in the grass, as well as her other axe, sandpaper, and the lunch pack. Looking around she jogs quickly back to the bay, and shuffles through the CDs on the rack. She finds one and pops it in. "Wanted" spills from the outdoor speakers as she presses play. Smiling, she sings along and returns to cut the wood.

Winnie might have worked for half an hour before she hears the whining of Windstorm's engine. As he descends, she notices a thick chain fastened to the underside of his sleek belly, and he lowers a _massive_ log down into Winnie's yard.

When she sees the log Winnie drops the axe with a thunk into the grass. "Windstorm? What... what?"

"IT WAS ONE OF THE FALLEN ONES I FLEW OVER," he shouts over his engines.

She smiles and tilts her head back. "That's huge! Thank you!"

"YA! I KNOW A CONSTRUCTION MECH, AND HE'S ON HIS WAY TO PLANE SOME BOARDS FOR THE REBUILDING!"

"You're AWESOME!" she shouts, as the log touches down in the grass.

Windstorm laughs. "OKAY! I'LL BE BACK!"

" 'Kay!"

Winnie runs around the log, checking it for bugs and termites. Then she returns to cutting the planks. An engine revs hard coming down the road, and a mech comes to a stop in front of her. Wait... he looks familiar...

"Hey, Winnie," a voice says, and the mech transforms. "Long time no see... I'll plane that for you."

She turns and smiles. "Hi, Rollover! Thank you." She runs into the compound and turns off the music.

His arm formats into the bark-cutter, and he hefts the log up. "Jeezums... where'd you get this thing?" he asks, straining to keep it up.

"I don't really know. Windstorm brought it," she says, walking back out.

"Wow! I'll have this ready in a few minutes," he says. "Before you start to build with it, remember..."

"Remember what?"

"Dry them first," he says. "Store them in the compound bay before using."

"Oh yeah." She smiles apologetically to him. "Sorry."

"Common problem," he says, finished with cutting the bark away, and he now forms a saw. "Watch the dust, I don't want anything in your optics- I mean, your eyes."

Winnie nods and drags her wood out of the dust range. She bends down beside it and starts sanding the edges. Within about ten minutes, Rollover had reduced the massive log into a pile of twelve boards.

"Wow! Thank you," she says, straightening up.

The sound of a distant thruster is heard.


	23. Chapter 23

Windstorm flies over, and lowers another mammoth log to Rollover.

"DO YOU NEED ANY MORE?!" he calls down to Winnie.

"I'm gonna have enough to build a whole 'nother house!" she calls back, laughing.

Windstorm laughs. "OKAY!"

He detaches the log from his chain, and shoots off again into the sky.

"Or... okay," she says, looking at the log.

Rollover laughs. "I'll plane 'em as he brings 'em... you keep going."

"Thank you. I'm sorry I'm making more work for you," she says, picking up the sand paper again.

"It's better than what I was doing," he sighs. "I welcome woodworking anyday."

"What were you doing? If you don't mind me asking, I mean..."

"Pouring concrete," he says. "I never can get it off my finish once it dries, and I'm working with ^ital^ blockheads ^ital^ from the 'Cons."

"Ohh," she says, nodding sympathetically.

"Yeah..."

Winnie is quiet for a minute, finishing one board and moving to another.

"So... how'd you get a flier out of three and away from his squad?" Rollover asks.

"He was just being released from Medbay and asked to come."

"That's the best way to do it," Rollover says, smiling. "Can't have Silverbolt stop you then."

"He won't get in trouble will he... for being out here?"

"Uh... no, unless Silverbolt himself catches him... I don't think that will happen, I mean, Silverbolt is usually so involved in his own doings."

"Good," she sighs.

As soon as Rollover had spoken, they hear the distinctive sound of Windstorm's engine. He has another log, and lowers it into the yard, and the chain retracts.

Then another engine is heard, and another jet comes overhead, and Windstorm shoots away, into the clouds. The jet transforms twenty feet above the two on the ground, and lands in front of Rollover.

"_What_ are you doing with my flier?" he hisses.

Winnie stumbles back, eyes wide.

"S-Sir," Rollover stutters.

"Don't," he growls. "Windstorm! Land!"

Winnie steps forward a little, unsure of whether or not to speak up. The other jet arcs overhead, and then halts, coming in nearer to the ground, and he transforms, looking up at Silverbolt.

"_What_ possessed you to leave the medbay?" Silverbolt hisses. "You are to be with the human medic."

"I... I... I..." Windstorm looks up at him, then drops his gaze.

Winnie bites her lip and steps forward. "Sir, excuse me. I asked him to leave Medbay and come help me."

"_Excuse me_," he growls, looking down at her. "Control you're flesh, Autobot."

She bites the inside of her cheek but doesn't drop her gaze. "I'm sorry that I brought Windstorm out here. He was assisting me with repairs."

"He _was_, was he?" Silverbolt growls, looking at Windstorm, who is shrinking away from him even further. "_You_ were supposed to go to medbay, and then come _back_ to the bay for your next _assignment._"

"It wasn't his fault."

"It most _certainly_ is his fault. And you," he says, turning to Rollover, "you know the protocols."

"I... I... all I was doing was planing boards," Rollover argues. "I have no business in that of fliers."

"Do you have anything to add?" Silverbolt hisses to Winnie.

She runs around so she stands in front of Silverbolt. "Neither of them is at fault. I told Windstorm to go out... and Rollover didn't have anything to do with it."

Silverbolt glares down at her. "Grapple will hear of this," he tells Rollover.

"And you, she-fleshling," he says. "Your punishment will come later."

Turning to Windstorm, he points to the road. "Go home, Windstorm," he growls. "Walk."

"Please... please don't blame either of them. If anyone is to blame, it's me," she says, standing in front of him.

"The blaming is finished," Silverbolt growls to her, taking a menacing step forward. "Now it is time for punishment. _Go_, Windstorm."

The jet glances up at Silverbolt and then to Winnie, and he begins to walk, looking like he is going to cry.

"It was fun, Winnie," he says softly as he walks past her, onto the road.

She doesn't move when Silverbolt steps forward. She looks to Windstorm and her mouth opens. Looking back up to Silverbolt. Something almost like anger boils in her stomach.

"I will be seeing _you_ later for punishment," he says to Winnie. "Windstorm! Don't stop. Go to Base, then back to bay three. Tell your squad what you have done so they can properly instill justice. You may stay, workmech."

"Hey," Rollover says in outrage, "I am no drone. _Workmech_ is a title for yourself... Primus knows that's what you do all day. Work, work, work."

Silverbolt's jetwings flick high. "How _dare_ you speak to me as such," he growls in return.

Winnie draws herself up higher and doesn't move. "Stop," she says, staring up at him.

Silverbolt looks down at her, and his eyes narrow. "What?" he hisses. "Are you... threatening me?"

"Absolutely not. You don't get to talk like that to him. Rollover has done nothing wrong. Just because you're angry doesn't mean you can take it out on someone who isn't involved."

She rounds on Rollover. "And you. Why would it be necessary to repeat an insult to anyone, whether they deserve it or not? It's disappointing to see anyone stoop as low as their insulter."

Then she turns back to Silverbolt. "I don't rightly care what you do to me. I brought Windstorm out here. He didn't even want to work, but I made him. Carry out your judgement on me, but don't punish him."

"_Judgement_?" Silverbolt growls. "You think I pass _judgement_?"

Winnie bites her lip and looks down, releasing her clenched fists. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken out so rashly. I am sorry."

"You have every right to outspeak," he growls.

"Do you think I _want_ to be harsh?" he snarls, taking a step closer. "Have you held a mech as they _offline _in your arms? Watched your squad gunned down by a warlord while you stood by and watched? You don't even contend with me. I am harsh to protect those close to me."

Winnie stands rigid. "I'm sorry."

Silverbolt looks down at her, and something in his eyes breaks. "No. Don't be."

He walks towards the road. "Wait for me, Windstorm!" he calls, and the jet halts in his walking, watching as Silverbolt comes jogging up.

Now too far away to hear what he is saying, Winnie watches as he tilts Windstorm's chin up, and gently thumbs the tears off his cheeks. He lightly flicks Windstorm on the nose, and holds out a hand to him. Windstorm timidly takes it, and they begin walking back together.

"That was the greatest change of events I have seen," Rollover says, watching them walk.

She turns to Rollover and doesn't look up. "I'm really sorry I snapped at you."

"Eh," he says with a smile. "I deserved it. Now... how many boards do you _need_ for this project?" he asks.

Winnie looks over to the boards. "These will be fine. Thank you."

"Sure... well, I've got an entire log left... do you want it?" he asks. "Can I have it?"

"Um... sure," she says, looking back.

"Thank you," he says with a smile. "I'll make you something."

She cracks a smile. "Er... wow, thank you! But you don't have to do anything for me."

"I got time," he says, firing up his saw again. "You can't look 'till it's done, though."

She sticks her tongue out and turns back to the un-sanded planks. Rollover saws the bottom roots off of the log, and then sets it upright, beginning to saw of pieces of the wood. Winnie quietly sands the wood. She replays the conversation in her mind, cursing herself for every word. Trying to drag herself away from her brain she listens to his saw.

"Hmm... okay," he says. "I hope it doesn't look too bad."

He steps back so Winnie can look, and she straightens, turning to look back where the log had stood.

"I hope I got it right," he says. "I can't write in your language very well. I think it's a... a... uh... the fourth to last letter. Your name begins with it, right?"

On the solid post of a log, an upside-down 'W' is carved out of the trunk... it looks more like an 'M' than anything, though.

Winnie's breaks into a wide grin. "Oh my goodness!" she says, bouncing up and down beside him. "That's awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He smiles, and his shoulders relax. "I don't know where you want to put it... where do you think?" he asks. "I'll stand it up there for you."

She looks around excitedly. "Hmm... would you mind putting it by the door?" she asks, smiling back up at him.

"Okay!" he says, and gingerly picks it up, walking over to the front door. He sets it down next to it, off to the side so the door can still be approached.

"I think I gotta run, but thank you for giving me your log," he says, once he walks back over to Winnie.

"Oh no. Thank you." She smiles at the wood carving. "It's wonderful."

"Thank you!" he chirps, and walks up onto the road. "Maybe I'll be back later to help you put up some boards."

"Cool!" she calls, and waves after him.

Winnie sits back down and sands the planks down. For a while she still smiles. Then she thinks about what she said earlier. She scrubs harder and harder even as her hands start to bleed.

"Winnie?" a voice asks into ther com.

She jumps and then touches her earpiece. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's breaktime," Bumblebee rumbles. "Take a break. Oh, and look up."

She drops the sandpaper and leans back on her heels, looking up. He sits on the road, and flashes his lights as she spots him.

"I rolled up, then I fell asleep."

She stands up and walks over. "Wow. I didn't even hear you."

"I wasn't stalking you, if that's what you're thinking," he says. "I actually am here under duress."

As Winnie looks closer, she sees... is that Lifeflight on the dash? He waves excitedly when she spots him, and taps on the windshield. She smiles and waves back at him, coming around to the door.

"Hey, hop on in. I'm warm, take the chill out of you. It's a little nippy out today."

She sticks her tongue out. "I don't get cold." She opens the door anyway, and slides inside.

"I didn't say cold," he rumbles, the door shutting. "I mean chilled. As in slight nip of the cold."

"Winnie!" Lifeflight says cheerfully, and he scoots over and slides down the steering wheel, into her lap.

"Have a nice nap?" she asks, pulling him in.

"Yeah," he murmurs, pushing into her shirt. "I think I needed it."

Winnie smiles and looks to the dash. "So how's your day been goin?" she asks, rubbing the wet between her fingers.

"Wait... are you bleeding?" Bumblebee and Lifeflight ask at the same time, Lifeflight a little less-steady in his words.

Winnie looks up. "Uh... yeah, I guess so. How was your day?"

"Pretty good," Bee says, holoform appearing in the passenger seat. "Hands."

Winnie sighs. "Bee, it's fine. It's just from the sandpaper."

"Still," he says, holding out a gentle hand for them. "Let me see."

She sighs, and holds out her hand.

"Both," Bee insists, still holding his hand out.

She gives him the other hand grudgingly. He turns them over, seeing the slight bleeding on the pads of her hands, and then reaches into subspace, and pulls out a rag and a bottle of cleanser.

Lifeflight is oblivious, content to simply cuddle into Winnie's shirt. Dousing part of the rag, Bee gently begins to dab on the patches of bare skin, and sets the bottle of cleanser on the dash.

"So... what have you been up to?" Bumblebee asks. "Com hub has been full of chatter."

"I got Windstorm in trouble," she says, wincing when the cleanser burns.

"I've heard it as slightly a different way," Bee says. "Silverbolt can be rather imposing, so I understand why you thought Windstorm was in more trouble than he actually is."

She nods and chews the inside of her lip. "Wait... you heard?"

"I hear everything, Winnie."

"But who else knows?"

"Uh... well, your name wasn't mentioned," he says. "Only that there'd been an incident in the human settlement... I spoke to Silverbolt directly to make sure that you were safe. That's how I found out what was happening."

Winnie chews her lip and pulls her hands back.

"Don't worry, Winnie," he says, leaning back in the seat. "Windstorm is just fine. Silverbolt might be awfully harsh on the outside, but he's a cupcake on the inside. He worries too much about his jets."

"I shouldn't have said anything in the first place, though."

"Why?"

"I just need to learn how to not interfere with things that aren't my business." She runs her fingers along Lifeflight's rotors. "Anyways..."

"Hey, everyone needs a wake up now and then," Bee says, smiling. "So... you got any plans for lunch?"

"Not really. I have the food you gave me earlier."

"Alright... why don't you go grab it, and we'll go find a place to sit down and eat."

" 'Kay," she says, gently picking up Lifeflight and opening the door.

"I'm sorry I s-said all those th-things and f-f-fell asleep," Lifeflight mumbles, as she walks out into the grass.

"Why are you sorry?" Winnie asks, heading towards where she dropped the bag.

"B-Because things-s like th-that are e-e-embarrassing t-to talk a-about. A-And I don't like e-embarrassing y-you."

"You... you didn't embarrass me, Lifeflight," she says, as she slings the bag over her shoulder.

"I... I..."

He takes a brief glance up at Winnie, and then hides his face, curling into her tummy, where he is held. She smiles and turns back to where Bee was parked. He flashes his lights to her. And his holoform appears outside of his form. Winnie smiles and walks over to him.

"You ready?" he asks. "Who carved the 'M' for you?"

She smiles and looks over her shoulder. "Rollover. Neat huh?"

"That is pretty awesome," he says, opening the door for Winnie again. "But... doesn't your name start with a W?"

"Yeah... but it's still cool," she says, getting in.

Bumblebee laughs. "Yeah."

He shuts the door, and his holoform reappears inside, in the passenger seat. "You wanna pick the spot or should I?"

"Why don't you choose."

"Okay!"

He pulls a datapad out of subspace, and keys in a couple things, and a warpgate opens in front of him.

...

Rolling through, they appear on another continent, in fields of wavy green grass overlooking a small lake. There is a tree nearby, and Bee opens the door to let Winnie out.

As she climbs out she gazes around. "Wow..."

"Tyrus is pretty nice this time of year," he says. "This is midways down... we're just east of the Kartal and south a little from the Sular Forest."

"This is incredible," she says quietly, and turns in place.

"Heh... if you are really still, the Pa'li might come over," he says. "They run wild here."

"Oh wow," she says, grinning.

He eases down under the tree. "Alright, let's eat something! My tank is growling."

She walks over and sits beside him. Setting Lifeflight down in the soft grass, she opens up the bag.

"Whoa... th-there's some b-bugs down here," Lifeflight says, looking through the grass.

Winnie smiles and pulls out some of the food. "Tell me if you find any ladybugs."

"What d-do they l-look like?" Lifeflight asks.

"Red, round, with little black dots on their backs. They're really cute."

"Okay."

She pulls out a plastic baggie and inspects the contents.

"Two sandwiches, two cubes, two cookies, two baggies of half apples each, sliced, and rust sticks," Bumblebee says. "Don't eat the rust sticks... organic digestive systems cannot process them."

"Good to know." She smiles. "Thank you."

"Ya," he says. "Better give them to me now so nothing horrid happens."

"I-I would n-not like a-anything-g to happen," Lifeflight says from his position in the grass.

"That bad huh?" she laughs.

"Well..." Bee says with a smile.

"Now I'm curious," she says, pulling out one of the sandwiches.

"About what?" Bee asks, reaching for the rust sticks.

"About whatever happened to the poor guy who tried it."

"Oh," Bee says. "That... was a mistake."

"Oooh," she says, taking a bite of the sandwich.

"I can't remember who gave the sticks first, but they were eaten by a human... and... well, it ruptured their stomach," he says. "And ate their intestines. It was good that we were stationed at this base, because... it would not have turned out well."

"You know, I think I heard about that. I didn't remember how it happened. That must have stunk for him."

"Yeah..."

His shoulders shudder, and he opens the baggy with the rust sticks, and eats one with a crunch.

"Winnie!" Lifeflight cries, coming out of the grass.

He climbs her knee, and turns around to show her the ladybug on his back.

"Oh, you found one!" she says with a smile.

"It's HUGE!" he cries. "C-C-Can you t-take it-t off?"

She puts her finger out so it crawls on before reaching his rotors. He turns around to look at it, and watches the little insect crawl up her hand.

"It's p-pretty," he says, inspecting the spots.

"Yeah." She says as it flicks it delicate dark wings out.

Bee takes a bite of his sandwich. "If you want another one," he says after swallowing, "I have three more... I didn't know if you had eaten everything yet, so I brought some."

"Thanks." She watches the ladybug crawl onto her sleeve.

He smiles, and takes another bite. Lifeflight watches Winnie eat with bright eyes. She sits forward as the bug takes off towards the lake, then looks back down to the little mech. He smiles, and then his eyes widen as he looks past Winnie.

"L-Look," he says.

Winnie puts her sandwich on her knee and turns over her shoulder. The herd of Pa'li stand there staring at them, and Bumblebee turns to see what Winnie is looking at.

"Pa'li," he says. "They will not harm us. I am here and they know it."

Her face slowly stretches into a wide smile. "Wow..." she breathes.

The alpha paws the ground, and leads the herd away giving a nod to Bumblebee.

"That's Pride's brother," he says. "Wrath was the old leader."

Winnie giggles quietly and smiles wider. Bee finishes his first sandwich, and then pulls out another. He is about to offer another to Winnie when he sees she still has hers to eat.

She is still staring after the herd and then feel is his eyes on her. She turns back and takes another bite of the sandwich. He starts on the second one, and sighs.

"It's nice out today," he says softly.

She nods, mouth full of bread, and smiles.

"How can you fill a day?" he asks. "I would understand if you had assignments, but... no one has really any assignments anymore. I have to say Windstorm has more work than any of us, besides Construction."

"Well..." She thinks about his question, taking another bite of sandwich. "There's just always something to do. After the animals are taken care of... I go out and help out the people in the village. Otherwise I guess I just run around trying to not act like an idiot." She smiles. "That part takes up a lot of work."

Bumblebee smiles. "I can tell you I haven't 'worked' in a year at least. They don't want my... ways."

She chews her sandwich and tries to think of something to say. "You were out on the mission with me. That's work."

"Reconnaissance. Work is assassination," he sighs. "The finding and capturing of Decepticon war criminals. Hacking computers... well, that's fun. But still, part of work. Work is... serving."

He looks to Winnie, then reaches into his bag and pulls out another cookie, which he flicks over into her lap.

"Work is fun, though," he says.

She picks it up and breaks off a piece, offering it to Lifeflight.

"Mmm... th-thank you," Lifeflight says.

"Remind me to show you some mission tapes if you're interested," Bee says, shifting so that his panels can rest in the grass. "There's some pretty interesting ones out there."

She smiles and nods. "That'd be cool."

He smiles. "I might even have some from Iacon before it was taken over and destroyed... _that_ was a city," he says. "The lights shined over the entire plate, and Mecha walked and drove and flew and were at peace."

He looks up into the sky, reminiscing. Winnie looks up at him, noticing the familiar feeling of being small and childlike. She smiles and takes a bite of cookie.

He sighs, and smiles wistfully. "And Praxus... it was beautiful," he sighs. "The towers were hundreds of kilometers high, and each had shining lights all up the length. The roads ran in circles with curves to bank into and long straights to race on. The main city had places for bonding, and the royalty walked in the streets like commonfolk to make us all equal."

She settles in the soft grass, careful not to jostle the little mech on her knee and listens.

"And the panels... wide and open and inviting. I was in the Pits when the city was bombed... I didn't see the destruction until I was sent back to slay the new Decepticon ruler looking over it... he was named Shockwave... that was my first failed mission."

Winnie feels Lifeflight shiver and she opens her mouth to try and say something remotely comforting, but closes it again. She only looks up at him.

"I h-heard about-t that," he says. "How... h-how did you g-g-get out? You... I r-r-remember you w-were brought into th-the medbay."

"I took a shot," Bee says simply. "I let him shoot me in the panelstruts, and when he saw I was 'dead', he threw me out to be eaten by the box crabs. I was technically paralyzed, and when I was thrown out, my signal became apparent for rescue crews. Depthcharge made them go get me."

"Wow..." Winnie whispers, processing that bit of information.

"And that started my entirety of Dark Missions," he says. "Depthcharge liked how I operated, and he enjoyed triggering Hornet, and then putting me down on the frontlines to fight it out of my system. I killed I don't know how many Mecha like that... I don't even remember their faces."

She winces as he describes it, reaching out a hand to bring him back to the present.


	24. Chapter 24

He sees the hand coming towards him, and his snaps out, catching it lightly between two fingers.

"I hope I'm not frightening you, Winnie," he says quietly. "Because I'm frightening myself."

She shakes her head. "I'm sorry," she says quietly.

"Eh," he says. "It's okay..."

"No... not really," she says sinking into the grass.

"It's the past, Winnie," he says softly. "And it can't hurt me... I think."

"It can when you dwell on it," she says, pulling her feet farther in.

"I suppose," he says, finishing the second sandwich.

He rolls over, and lets his panels catch some sun. Winnie eats a little more cookie looking out at the lake. Then she looks down to Lifeflight. He smiles and flicks his airblades a little, before sliding down to sit against her.

"L-Last day b-being so small," he says with a smile.

He smiles and flicks his airblades a little, before sliding down to sit against her. She smiles and rubs his rotors.

"Yeah."

"Technically, it's already half over," Bumblebee rumbles. "It's a little after noon now."

"Cool." She says leaning up against the tree.

"Have you ever wondered what other types of predators there are out there?" Bee asks. "I've only seen direwolves on Tyrus... but aren't there usually solitary hunters too? I just find it strange none have been seen. Or maybe that's just how it is."

"Usually... yeah." She smiles and turns, looking into the dense trees. "Other times, people just don't look hard enough."

"Hmm." He stretches, rolling his shoulders to loosen his panelstruts. "The lack of knowledge is upsetting."

She laughs and turns back around towards the lake.

"Have you ever thought of training an ikran?"

"Uh-huh."

He looks over at her and smiles. "That sounds awesome," he says. "G is hesitant to let me bring one of them over here... because of the sparklings," he says. "They are too curious."

"That would be a pretty bad idea, with one so wild," she says, playing with the grass.

"I've always thought that starting with an egg would be the easiest route," he says. "I've spoken to some of the mail runners and that's how they did it."

She nods. "Yeah... I know."

"Seems like you know more about this than I do," Bee says. "Tell me everything."

She smiles. "Everything? Well first, they don't like having their eggs taken."

"Nothing does," Bumblebee says. "Even chickens peck."

"Second thing is that if you do take their eggs...they will take it out on something else, and try and get them back." She pauses. "How much do you know about them in the first place?"

"They eat flesh," Bee says. "Means deer-finding."

She laughs. "Dude... if that's it, you're reeaaaally ready for an ikran."

"Hey," he says defensively. "I'm asking questions. Learn me a thing."

"Okay... since we're on the topic of eggs. Once they're in the nest, they take a crazy long time to hatch. Right now, we are only in the beginning of the second generation of ikran."

"Okay," he says. "Next."

"The eggs only need a small amount of care during the first ninety percent of their incubation time. The parents hide the eggs and leave, coming back every now and again to check. During the last little bit, they return frequently until the egg hatches."

"Okay," he says. "So... look for parents frequenting the nest?"

"Bumblebee. If I tell you about the ikrans, you won't try to go get an egg or hatchling will you?" she asks, looking up at him.

"I make no promises, Winnie. But I won't do anything without your authorization."

"Good..."

"What else do you know?" he asks.

"They live in colonies, but very far apart in pairs, and are very communicative and smart. Their hide is very thick, and varies in color depending on region, altitude, species, and climate. Also, it has been rumored that they communicate directly with other species."

"Communicate?" he asks. "How?"

She thinks for a minute. "I don't really know. A lot of it has been dismissed as hallucinations... but through writing and spoken word."

"Really?" he asks excitedly. "They must know many things... pardon, do continue."

"Well, that's all I can tell you that is factual. Everything else is just hypotheses and theories that I haven't confirmed yet. They probably do know a lot, though."

"Hmm..." he says. "Okay."

She fingers the grass. "I'm sorry I can't give you more definite stuff."

"That's okay," he says. "That's everything you know. And that's good enough for me."

She smiles and looks out at the lake. "You need to come see Praxus when it is rebuilt," he rumbles softly.

She nods. "That'd be awesome..."

"Prowl has promised us an apartment in the highest tower," Bumblebee says wistfully. "The lights will be exquisite."

"Wow..." Winnie says softly, and she looks down at her lap.

At seeing the surprised, slightly crestfallen look upon Winnie's face, Bumblebee extends hand to her, palm up.

"It's not like we're leaving Earth," he tells her. "When we have no more sparklings under our belt, then it would be like... like going on a summer visit-type thing. We will always live on Earth. G doesn't want to leave."

She smiles and nods. "Yeah."

"So... what else you got planned for today?" he asks. "I would say rest and take it easy, put your feet up and relax, but it's up to you."

"Relax. That's funny." She smiles. "No, I gotta go home and get back to work."

"Aww, darn," he says. "I suppose."

"Well," she says, shifting in place. "Thanks for the lunch."

"Ya," he says. "You want any to go?"

"I think I'm fine, thanks. The chances that I'm actually gonna remember it are pretty low."

Bumblebee laughs. "Okay. You goin' straight back to the compound or do you want to come home first and then go to the compound?"

"If I don't go to the compound, I probably won't ever get finished," she says, stuffing the plastic baggie into her pocket.

"Alright," he says, pulling himself up.

Pulling a datapad out of subspace, he types in a few commands. A warp gate opens, and he stretches.

"This will take us to the compound."

She cups Lifeflight in her hand and stands up too. "See ya later?" she asks, looking at the little medic.

"I g-guess," he sighs. "J-Just d-don't stay out-t too late."

She smiles and hands him gently over to Bee. Bee lifts him to his shoulder, and Lifeflight sits in a divot in his armor.

"Let's roll," Bee says.

Winnie smiles and looks around at the scenery one last time before walking thought the gate.

...

Bumblebee follows after her. "Don't worry, you can always come back and investigate," he says with a smile. "Do you need any help lifting up the boards?"

"Naw, I can get them. Thanks, though."

"Okay," he says warily. "I don't want you to come back with any significant injuries."

She sticks her tongue out and smiles. "I'll be fine, Bee."

"You better be," he says. "You wanna catch a nap on the way back, Lifeflight?"

He looks over at the little medic, to find he had fallen asleep again. Winnie laughs quietly when she sees him.

"Well, I'll see you tonight," Bumblebee says. "Don't be out too late."

He steps up to the road, and transforms. Winnie waves after them and walks into the creaking house. Punching the speakers to play a random song she sings along and returns outside.

She finishes up the sanding, thoughtfully looking over each board. Contemplating the roof, she drags a board over and props it against the woodpile by the door. She climbs up on the shaky pile herself and pulls the board onto the roof.

She gets the four driest boards on the roof, and near the hole. She climbs down, returning with a handful of nails and a hammer. Pulling one shorter board into place she nails it over the start of the tear. Once or twice she smashes her finger, but laughs at her clumsiness and continues, feeling the sun on her back as she works.

...

As the light begins to fade, Winnie receives a com. "Winnie? Time to come back, working can wait till tomorrow."

She looks down at the boards. She had made her way three-quarters of the way across the hole and put in a new bracer. "Aw man. I'm almost done," she grumbles.

"C'mon, dinner's on the table, come eat. You can finish tomorrow."

" 'Kay. I'll be there in a few," she says, sliding down onto the woodpile. When she lands a few chunks roll off with a couple of solid thunks. She picks them up sets them in their tower again. Before turning her music off, she brings in the planks and her other tools.

Winnie finishes and pulls the bay door down. She sticks her hands in her pockets and hums as she walks up to the road, beginning to head to Base. As she walks, she feels the wind pick up.

As Winnie walks along the road, she watches some leaf litter swirl across the road. As she approaches Base, a well-known face approaches her. Redbeam.

Winnie doesn't change her stride, but quickly ducks behind a near tree.

"Trees are wood," he says. "And I can scan right through it."

She shivers and comes out from behind the tree; she smiles edgily and waves at the mech.

"Winnie? Are you on your way?" Bumblebee asks. "I'm coming to intercept you at Base."

She hastily reaches up to her com and feels the bruise still on her face. "Yes, Bee. No need to come through. Just entering base."

"Okay..." he says. "Three minutes and I'm coming to meet you."

"K-Kay," she says, walking a little further down the road.

"Are you nervous about meeting me?" Redbeam says with a small, dark smile.

She nods, but smiles. "Yeah. But I hope I can still make friends with you," she says, holding out a hand.

Redbeam stares down at her hand. "Why are you holding your hand out?" he asks.

She pulls it back. "Sorry. It's a human thing. In this case, I guess it means I'm sorry."

"Um..." Redbeam says, "Sorry for what?"

"Uh... for interrogating you and getting you beat up. It was uncalled for," she says, relaxing a bit.

Redbeam smiles. "You spoke the language I know best," he says. "If violence gains knowledge, then so be it."

"Well it didn't have to be," she says quietly.

"It's the past. And the past doesn't matter, unless you don't learn from it."

"Redbeam," Bumblebee growls, walking out of Base. "What are you doing with Winnie?"

She peeks around the mech to look at Bee, and smiles reassuringly. "We were just talking. Everything is fine."

Bumblebee walks forward, moving closer to Winnie. "Go away, Redbeam. Slink back into your shadows."

She stands between the two. "It's fine, Bee."

Redbeam nods to Winnie, and she bids him farewell: "Good day."

Bumblebee, walking beside Winnie, flares his panels, and he stares down at Winnie.

"Watch your mouth," he growls.

Winnie shrinks down, confused. "What?"

"Don't be too friendly with children of the dark," he growls. "Or else it will come back to bite you."

She stands a little straighter. "Well then, I'm fine with that. I won't be unfriendly to him," she says quietly.

He says nothing, but folds his panels together and walks with Winnie into the medbay. He gestures to the warp pad, looking to Winnie to walk through first. She looks down and walks silently through into the other side.

...

Once they are both on Tyrus, he taps the warp pad with a foot, turning it off.

"Lifeflight?" he asks, "you awake?"

"Y-Yeah," he says softly.

"Good. Claim your human."

"W-Winnie?"

Winnie walks over and plops down onto the couch.

"Hey," Lifeflight says softly, from where he's nestled in a blanket.

"Hi," she says, giving him a little smile.

Bumblebee walks outside, descending the porch stairs quickly.

"Huh," G says, walking downstairs with Oneshot. "Whatcha want for dinner?"

She looks over her shoulder. "Um... whatever, is fine with me." She says quietly.

"Eh, tonight we got leftovers," G says. "What are you hungry for?"

Winnie shrugs, and sinks into the couch.

"Alright," G says. "Lifeflight?"

"Sh-Shot glass-s, p-please," he says.

She leans down beside lifeflight and plays with a loose string.

"H-Hey," he says softly, a small hand reaching out to touch a lock of her hair. "Wh-What's wrong?"

She looks up and smiles. "Nothing."

"I c-can read-d your s-signature," he murmurs. "W-we can speak-k later."

She sticks out her tongue and smiles again. "I'm fine." He looks up at her, searching her eyes.

"Here, Lifeflight."

A shot glass descends onto the coffee table, and G flicks Winnie in the head. "I'll be back with yours."

She smiles. "Thanks, Gil."

"Ya."

She straightens up, attitude back in check. G returns with a plate, with a selection of various items. Elk steak, mashed potatoes, a couple meatballs, and some buttered rice.

"You seemed unsure of what to eat," G says. "Here."

Her eyes widen at the comfort food. "Oh gosh... thank you."

"Ya," G says. "What went on at Base?"

"Oh not much..." Winnie says, digging into her mashed potatoes.

"He's not very happy with you, whatever happened. I'm trying to get it together here, man... what happened?"

"I was just being an idiot. I apologized to Redbeam and then I got Bee upset with me, I guess."

G smiles a little and nods. "I see... well, it will all blow over. Bee just needs to think... he isn't sure of what happened, that's why he's angry."

Winnie chews the inside of her cheek and looks up at her friend.

"Wes'!" Raybeam cries, walking out of the reading room, excited to see Winnie.

"Hey, Ray!" she says, equally excited.

He squeals happily, and pulls himself up on the couch to hug Winnie's side. She sets her plate to the side so she doesn't knock it over. Pulling the sparkling in to her lap, she tickles his side. He squeals louder, and his doorwings flare as she tickles him.

"Wes'! NO Wes'!"

She smiles and squeals back in a chipmunk voice. "Wes' says yes."

As she tickles him more, he squeals and laughs louder. "AHH WES' NO AHH WES'!"

She blows raspberries at him and hangs him upside down off her knees. His panels flick and flare, and when she pulls him back upright, he is disoriented and lays against her chest, flicking his wings to wake up the sensors.

"Wes'," he moans softly. "Tired..."

Winnie pulls him in and hugs him gently. "Okay." She smiles gently to him.

He mumbles something else, and lays his head down on her shoulder. She smiles and takes a bite from her potatoes with her free hand.

"Oh dear, come here, little one," G says softly.

She reaches down, scooping Raybeam up from Winnie's lap. She smiles and untangles herself. "Night, Ray," she says softly.

He's already asleep, one arm dangling limply off G's shoulder.

"I'll be back," she says.

" 'Kays" she says, sliding out of her shoes and sitting cross legged on the couch, plate in her lap.

"H-How far did-d you get-t?" Lifeflight asks.

"Pretty far." She swallows. "I'm almost done with the big hole. The hallway needs to be fixed... then everything just needs to be sealed up."

"Good," he says with a smile, laying down in the blanket, on his stomach. "G-Guess what-t tomorrow is-s."

"Tomorrow you get big again." She smiles.

"Yeah!" he says with a bright smile. "I-It's probably g-going to b-be so d-different-t than now."

"Yeah. No more getting cold or sleepy."

"And n-no more t-tiny."

Winnie smiles and bites into the elk. "No more-re t-tiny..." he murmurs.

She scoots closer to him and looks down. "Yeah." She finishes up her dinner and leans back, stretching.

"Get in the shower!" G calls down. "It's nearing time."

" 'Kay!" she calls back, and takes her dishes into the kitchen. She returns and looks to Lifeflight. "Ya need a 'shower'?"

"A-Always," he says. "C-Clean is the best-t."

"Depends on who you're asking," she laughs, and holds out a hand for him to climb on.

He climbs up onto her hand, and she walks into the washroom. Depositing him in the sink, Winnie sighs. She turns the water on and feels it. "That good?"

"Mmm... yes," Lifeflight moans, flicking his airblades in the water.

She leaves the water on, and hops behind the curtain. Lifeflight hears Winnie undress and throw her clothes over the shower curtain bar, and then she turns the shower on, yelping as the water is cold for a moment before heating up.

"Hmm..." he says, thinking of a song. "I know..."

She smiles as he starts to sing.

"I've got the lights turned up

The door is locked, the bedroom TV's on..."

Winnie smiles and nods her head to the melody.

"Doing the only thing that gets me through the night

Since you're asleep..."

She tilts her head and listens.

"Prayin' for daylight, waiting for that morning sun,

So I can act like my whole life ain't going wrong..."

She smiles and is quiet.

"Come back to me, I swear I'll make it right...

Don't make me spend another lonely night,

Prayin' for daylight."

Winnie nods to his song.

"Y-You fall a-asleep s-so quickly," he murmurs.

"Yeah right..." she whispers underneath the water's noise.

"Y-You do," he says. "I might-t pass-s ou-out first, b-but I wake u-up shortly after... y-you look so peaceful."

Winnie feels her face flush hot.

"Hmm... i-it's nearly t-ten."

Winnie turns off the water and pulls her clothes back on. "You good?" she asks over the curtain.

"I th-think so," he says. "But I th-think I d-dropped my armor o-off the side of th-the counter."

"Oh... um..."

"I-If you w-would p-pick it up, I w-would really-y appreciate it-t."

" 'Kay..." she says, looking down at the floor and pulling the curtain back.

She spots the armor and sets it on the sink edge, eyes still on the floor. It snaps down onto his body, and he stretches for the faucet, still not being able to reach. Winnie flicks her eyes up and turns it off for him, then pulls down a towel.

He shivers as she towels him down, then dries his rotors. When she's done she dries off her hair and offers a hand out. He climbs up onto her hand, clinging to her thumb.

"I'm a-a little dizzy," he s-says softly. "P-Pardon."

She stops and holds him a little closer. "Sorry."

He shivers, and hangs on tighter. "I'm... okay..."

"Ya sure?" she asks.

"No," he says quietly. "But... as s-soon as-s we g-get in bed-d..."

"Hmm?" She opens the door.

"N-Nothing," he mumbles.

She walks into the hall and turns to the stairs. Lifeflight holds on even harder to her hand, pressing against her chest as they move.

She stops at the foot of the steps. "Lifeflight... ya sure you're cool?"

"No," he whispers. "M-My helm is-s sp-spinning."

She looks down worriedly. "Do I need to get G?" she asks.

"N-No..."

"Hey, you two, what's up?" G asks, walking in from the porch. "My ears are burning."

She looks up. "Gil. Lifeflight feels dizzy."

"Aww, that's normal," G says. "It's okay... Lifeflight, are you warm?"

"S-Sick," he whimpers. "I-I don't feel w-well..."

Winnie looks down at the little bot and back to G.

"W-Winnie," he whimpers, and he coughs.

"Uh-oh," G says, pulling off her shirt swiftly. She shifts Lifeflight onto it, just as he purges what little remained in his tank.

"Lifelight?" Winnie asks quietly. "Is he alright?"

"I-I-I'm okay," he whispers, "j-j-just a bit sick."

She looks to Gilli.

"As the medic says," she says. "You wanna go wash your mouth out, Lifeflight?"

He nods slowly, and G motions to Winnie to follow, as she walks into the washroom, turning on the water to cold. Winnie follows close behind her friend.

Slowly, Lifeflight slides over to the edge of the towel, gripping the shirt tightly, and he rinses out his mouth twice before pushing himself back.

"I-I'm sorry," he mumbles.

Winnie walks around to the other side of the counter.

"Here, you want Winnie to take you? Then you can go to bed."

"O-Okay," Lifeflight mumbles. "I'm sorry f-for soiling-g your sh-shirt."

"Eh, it can be washed," G says with a smile. "Here, Winnie, take your mech."

She reaches out and cups him in her hand. Winnie pulls him back into her chest, and he presses against her, hand wrapping around her shirt.

She turns to G. "Is Bee still upset with me?"

"No," G says. "He is concerned about Lifeflight because he can feel me."

Winnie nods. "Is he gonna be alright?" she asks.

"Of course," G says. "Now, get goin'. Lifeflight should go to bed."

" 'Kay. Good night, Gil," she says, heading to the door.

"Night, Dub. Just call if something is up."

She nods and smiles to G before heading up the stairs. Lifeflight shivers and holds onto her shirt tightly, pressing himself into the softness. Winnie reaches the door and walks inside. She shuts the main light off and turns on the lamp, laying the medic on the bed.

He holds his helm in one hand, and watches as Winnie sits down on the bed. She sits down and brushes his rotors gently.

"P-Please d-don't-t," he mumbles. "I d-don't feel w-well."

She pulls her hand back. "I'm sorry," she apologizes.

"I-It's o-okay," he murmurs. "I g-guess I crashed-d the mood... s-sorry..."

"No ya didn't," she says, pulling up the sheets. "Here, morning'll be here before you know it."

"O-Okay," he mumbles, as Winnie lies down beside him.

He pulls her hand into his chest, hugging one of her fingers tightly. She smiles and watches his rotors flick as the clock ticks. He sighs, slowly falling asleep. He shivers a little, and Winnie tugs a sheet up over his shoulders.

...

When the morning rolls around, Lifeflight stretches in bed, feeling his feet stick off the end. He looks down at his normal sized body, and sighs happily. He then turns to Winnie, who is still asleep beside him.

Extending an arm, he pulls her into his warm side and settles back down to sleep until later in the morning - it was awfully early.

Winnie shifts in her sleep as the first of the morning light comes in. She feels something on her arm. Lifeflight must've crawled up in the night. When she shifts however it moves and she feels fingers. Her eyes fly open and she starts when she sees Lifeflight's normal sized face.

He is just settling back into sleep when he feels Winnie shift... maybe if he played like he was asleep she wouldn't pull away... Winnie squeaks as she registers Lifeflight and jumps back a little.

"Nnnh..." he moans, sleepy, and his eyes open to her. "G'morning..."

She smiles wide and sits up. "Lifeflight! You're big again!"

"Mmhmm..." he murmurs. "I am..."

She reaches over and gives him a quick hug.

"Mmm..." he sighs, arms hugging her back. "I-It's relieving t-to be big again."

She pulls back and smiles up at him. He sighs again. "D-Do we h-have to get-t up yet? It's too early..."

She looks over and leans her elbow up against the pillow. "Um... I probably will..." she says, rubbing an eye.

"Aww," he mumbles. "At l-least sleep in a little-le. Celebrate-te with me b-by sleeping in..."

She looks back over. "I dunno."

"Please?" he asks with a yawn. "It's s-so early..."

She looks to the clock and leans back. "Five minutes..."

"Okay," he relents. "C-Cuddle with m-me?"

She scoots a little closer and then stops. "Lifeflight... d-d-do you... uh..."

"Hmm?" he asks, stretching again. He shifts to his rotors lie flat.

She scoots back. "Did... uh... your armor... um..."

"Oh! Um... wh-whoops, uh, n-no," he says, biting his lip, and his cheeks flush. "Wh-Why? A-Are you i-intending-g on p-p-peeking?"

She scootches to the edge of the bed, face bright red. "G-gosh n-n-no!" she stammers, quickly getting up.

He lets his breath out, pulling his pillow over his head. "Okay," he says, voice muffled.

She turns and straightens the cuffs of her jeans. "I-I'm gonna head o-out. I-I'll see ya later?"

"Okay," he sighs. "I'll make s-sure to tell-l G or Bumblebee."

As Winnie turns for the door, he sits up. "W-Wait!" he says.

She stops and tilts her head. "Hm?"

"Come b-back here f-for a moment," he says. "I h-have to tell y-you something."

She turns back and walks carefully back. He beckons with a finger, and when she gets closer to the side of the bed, reaches out with a hand for hers. He catches her fingers, and pulls her closer, stretching up and giving her a soft kiss on the cheek.

"I-I told y-you I would," he says softly, words brushing her skin. Winnie stands there for a minute, eyes wide.

"I c-could d-d-do it again if-f you w-want me t-t-to," he whispers.

"Uh..." Her voice comes out in a bewildered squeak.

He tucks a piece of hair behind her ear, and relinquishes her hand. "Gather y-your thoughts, W-Winnie, they're l-lost like sh-sheep in a meadow-w."

She nods and looks at his face. She swallows and tries to do so but... can't.

"I-It's okay," he says, looking up at her with a kind smile. "G-Go do your work. I kn-know you need-d to think."

She nods again but stands still for another moment. Her head feels fuzzy.

"If y-you're feeling l-lightheaded, s-sit down and r-rest a minute," he says softly. "I don't want y-you to pass-s out and fall d-down the stairs."

"N-No," she squeaks. "I-I'm fine."

She stands and walks to the door. Opening it, she steps forward into the doorframe with a crunch.

"Oops."

She stumbles back and looks behind her to Lifeflight, then she quickly walks out of the room, face flushed red. Lifeflight watches her leave, first tripping over the doorframe, and then giving him a last look before leaving.

He smiles to himself. There she goes...

Fin


End file.
